With advances in technology, wireless and sensor technologies represent a method for continuously recording people's biomedical signals, which may enhance the diagnosis and treatment of users' ...everyday health conditions. These technologies mostly target older adults. In this study, we examine a smart clothing system targeting clinically high-risk patients, including older adults with cardiovascular disease (31 outpatients) and older adults in general (81 participants), to obtain an understanding of the patients' perception of using wearable healthcare technologies. Given that technology anxiety has been shown to affect users' resistance to using new technology and that perceived ubiquity is considered a characteristic of wearable devices and other mobile wireless technologies, we included three external variables: i.e., technology anxiety, perceived ubiquity, and resistance to change, in addition to the traditional components of the technology acceptance model (TAM). The results of the hypothesized model showed that among older adults in general, technology anxiety had a negative effect on the perceived ease of use and perceived ubiquity. The perceived ubiquity construct affects both user groups' perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of wearing smart clothes. Most relationships among the original constructs of the TAM were validated in older adults in general. Interestingly, we found that perceived usefulness had an indirect effect on behavioral intention through attitude. These results further confirm the validity of the extended TAM in determining older users' technology acceptance behavior.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Organic mechanoluminochromic materials are mechano/piezo‐responsive and promising for applications in sensors, displays, and data storage devices. However, their switching range of emission is ...seriously impeded by only one kind of emission (either a fluorescent or phosphorescent peak) in the spectrum of single organic compounds. This study presents a design strategy for pure organic compounds with excellent room‐temperature fluorescent–phosphorescent dual‐emission (rFPDE) properties, which combines the effective factors of dipenylsulfone group, crystalline state, and heavy atom effect. Following the principle of color mixing, myriad emission colors with a wide range from orange to purple and across white zone in a straight line in the chromaticity diagram of the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) can be obtained by simply mechanical grinding the compound. The unique properties could be concentrated on a pure organic compound through this design strategy, which provides a new efficient channel for the discovery of efficient mechano‐responsive organic materials.
Grinding a rainbow: A purely organic compound with excellent room‐temperature fluorescent–phosphorescent dual‐emission (rFPDE) properties brought about by mechanical grinding has been demonstrated. It shows linearly tunable emission colors with a straight line across the white zone in the chromaticity diagram, following the principle of color mixing.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the flipped classroom learning environment on learner's learning achievement and motivation, as well as to investigate the effects of flipped ...classrooms on learners with different achievement levels in learning mathematics concepts. The learning achievement and motivation were measured by the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Course Interest Survey (CIS), respectively. A pretest posttest quasi-experimental design was employed for this study. A total of 82 high-school students participated in this study, divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group (41) was taught trigonometry using the flipped classroom method, while the control group (41) was taught by traditional teaching methods. The researchers employed independent sample t-test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to analyze the data obtained. Findings indicated a significant difference in the learning achievement and motivation between the two groups, with students using the flipped classroom performing better. Further analysis showed a significant difference in the performance of low achievers in the experimental and control groups.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NMLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Ebola virus causes sporadic outbreaks of lethal hemorrhagic fever in humans, but there is no currently approved therapy. Cells take up Ebola virus by macropinocytosis, followed by trafficking through ...endosomal vesicles. However, few factors controlling endosomal virus movement are known. Here we find that Ebola virus entry into host cells requires the endosomal calcium channels called two-pore channels (TPCs). Disrupting TPC function by gene knockout, small interfering RNAs, or small-molecule inhibitors halted virus trafficking and prevented infection. Tetrandrine, the most potent small molecule that we tested, inhibited infection of human macrophages, the primary target of Ebola virus in vivo, and also showed therapeutic efficacy in mice. Therefore, TPC proteins play a key role in Ebola virus infection and may be effective targets for antiviral therapy.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Top-down modulation of sensory processing allows the animal to select inputs most relevant to current tasks. We found that the cingulate (Cg) region of the mouse frontal cortex powerfully influences ...sensory processing in the primary visual cortex (V1) through long-range projections that activate local γ-aminobutyric acid–ergic (GABAergic) circuits. Optogenetic activation of Cg neurons enhanced V1 neuron responses and improved visual discrimination. Focal activation of Cg axons in V1 caused a response increase at the activation site but a decrease at nearby locations (center-surround modulation). Whereas somatostatin-positive GABAergic interneurons contributed preferentially to surround suppression, vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive interneurons were crucial for center facilitation. Long-range corticocortical projections thus act through local microcircuits to exert spatially specific top-down modulation of sensory processing.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Knowledge of temperature and temperature gradients with nanoscale resolution is critical for a variety of applications in medicine, nanoelectronics, biology, and solid‐state‐based devices. The number ...of existing nanothermometry techniques is remarkably large, varying for materials, mechanisms, sensitivity, and operating ranges. In this work, a selected group of prominent nanoscale thermosensors is reviewed, which are all‐optical and nanoparticle‐based. Specifically, the focus is on the analysis of their fundamental mechanism to identify absolute, intrinsic capabilities and limitations of each nanothermometry platform. Prominent applications as well as future challenges and opportunities in the field are discussed.
In this work, a selection of nanothermometry techniques for measuring temperature at the nanoscale is reviewed. The focus is on thermosensors, which are all‐optical and nanoparticle‐based. An in‐depth analysis of their fundamental mechanisms is provided, as these set the absolute, intrinsic capabilities and limitations of each nanothermometry platform. Prominent applications as well as future challenges and opportunities are discussed.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are high-conductance intracellular Ca(2+) channels that play a pivotal role in the excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal and cardiac muscles. RyRs are the largest ...known ion channels, with a homotetrameric organization and approximately 5,000 residues in each protomer. Here we report the structure of the rabbit RyR1 in complex with its modulator FKBP12 at an overall resolution of 3.8 Å, determined by single-particle electron cryomicroscopy. Three previously uncharacterized domains, named central, handle and helical domains, display the armadillo repeat fold. These domains, together with the amino-terminal domain, constitute a network of superhelical scaffold for binding and propagation of conformational changes. The channel domain exhibits the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily fold with distinct features. A negative-charge-enriched hairpin loop connecting S5 and the pore helix is positioned above the entrance to the selectivity-filter vestibule. The four elongated S6 segments form a right-handed helical bundle that closes the pore at the cytoplasmic border of the membrane. Allosteric regulation of the pore by the cytoplasmic domains is mediated through extensive interactions between the central domains and the channel domain. These structural features explain high ion conductance by RyRs and the long-range allosteric regulation of channel activities.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In this paper, we conduct mathematical and numerical analyses for COVID-19. To predict the trend of COVID-19, we propose a time-dependent SIR model that tracks the transmission and recovering rate at ...time t. Using the data provided by China authority, we show our one-day prediction errors are almost less than 3%. The turning point and the total number of confirmed cases in China are predicted under our model. To analyze the impact of the undetectable infections on the spread of disease, we extend our model by considering two types of infected persons: detectable and undetectable infected persons. Whether there is an outbreak is characterized by the spectral radius of a 2 X 2 matrix. If R 0 > 1, then the spectral radius of that matrix is greater than 1, and there is an outbreak. We plot the phase transition diagram of an outbreak and show that there are several countries on the verge of COVID-19 outbreaks on Mar. 2, 2020. To illustrate the effectiveness of social distancing, we analyze the independent cascade model for disease propagation in a configuration random network. We show two approaches of social distancing that can lead to a reduction of the effective reproduction number R e .
Natural self-assembled three-dimensional photonic crystals such as blue-phase liquid crystals typically assume cubic lattice structures. Nonetheless, blue-phase liquid crystals with distinct crystal ...symmetries and thus band structures will be advantageous for optical applications. Here we use repetitive electrical pulses to reconfigure blue-phase liquid crystals into stable orthorhombic and tetragonal lattices. This approach, termed repetitively applied field, allows the system to relax between each pulse, gradually transforming the initial cubic lattice into various intermediate metastable states until a stable non-cubic crystal is achieved. We show that this technique is suitable for engineering non-cubic lattices with tailored photonic bandgaps, associated dispersion and band structure across the entire visible spectrum in blue-phase liquid crystals with distinct composition and initial crystal orientation. These field-free blue-phase liquid crystals exhibit large electro-optic responses and can be polymer-stabilized to have a wide operating temperature range and submillisecond response speed, which are promising properties for information display, electro-optics, nonlinear optics, microlasers and biosensing applications.
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FZAB, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Although there have been intense efforts to fabricate large three-dimensional photonic crystals in order to realize their full potential, the technologies developed so far are still beset with ...various material processing and cost issues. Conventional top-down fabrications are costly and time-consuming, whereas natural self-assembly and bottom-up fabrications often result in high defect density and limited dimensions. Here we report the fabrication of extraordinarily large monocrystalline photonic crystals by controlling the self-assembly processes which occur in unique phases of liquid crystals that exhibit three-dimensional photonic-crystalline properties called liquid-crystal blue phases. In particular, we have developed a gradient-temperature technique that enables three-dimensional photonic crystals to grow to lateral dimensions of ~1 cm (~30,000 of unit cells) and thickness of ~100 μm (~ 300 unit cells). These giant single crystals exhibit extraordinarily sharp photonic bandgaps with high reflectivity, long-range periodicity in all dimensions and well-defined lattice orientation.Conventional fabrication approaches for large-size three-dimensional photonic crystals are problematic. By properly controlling the self-assembly processes, the authors report the fabrication of monocrystalline blue phase liquid crystals that exhibit three-dimensional photonic-crystalline properties.
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