It is a big challenge to grow β-Ga2O3 films of good p-type conductivity and stability due to the large acceptor ionization energy, strong hole-trapping effect, low hole mobility, and ...self-compensation effects. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the success in the growth of high-quality p-type N-doped β-Ga2O3 films with an acceptor ionization energy of 0.165 eV, Hall resistivity of 17.0 Ωcm, Hall hole mobility of 23.6 cm2V−1s−1, hole concentration of 1.56 × 1016 cm−3 and good stability, and in the fabrication of high-performance p-type β-Ga2O3 films-based field effect transistors. The success paves the way to fabricate full β-Ga2O3 films based p-n diodes and will advance the applications of next-generation high-performance β-Ga2O3-based optoelectronic and electronic devices. In addition, we discover the growth mechanism of multi-step structural phase transitions from hexagonal P63mc GaN to rhombohedral R3¯c α-GaNxO3(1-x)/2 and finally to monolithic C2/m N-doped β-Ga2O3, which improves the crystalline quality, facilitates the acceptor doping, increases the acceptor activation efficiency, and thus enhances the p-type conductivity and stability of the N-doped β-Ga2O3 films. The novel p-type oxide film growth technique and mechanism open a new horizon to the other wide bandgap oxide semiconductors.
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•Discover energy-driven multi-step structural phase transition mechanism.•Achieve N-doped β-Ga2O3 films with good p-type conductivity and stability.•Fabricate high-performance p-type β-Ga2O3 films-based field effect transistors.•Advance development of full β-Ga2O3 based optoelectronic and electronic devices.•Open a new horizon to the other wide bandgap oxide semiconductors.
Summary
The treatment of 300-mg/day isoflavones (aglycone equivalents) (172.5 mg genistein + 127.5 mg daidzein) for 2 years failed to prevent lumbar spine and total proximal femur bone mineral ...density (BMD) from declining as compared with the placebo group in a randomized, double-blind, two-arm designed study enrolling 431 postmenopausal women 45–65 years old.
Introduction
This study evaluated the effects of soy isoflavones on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women.
Methods
Four hundred and thirty-one women, aged 45–65 years, orally consumed 300-mg/day isoflavones (aglycone equivalents) or a placebo for 2 years in a parallel group, randomized, double-blind, two-arm study. Each participant also ingested 600 mg of calcium and 125 IU of vitamin D
3
per day. The BMD of the lumbar spine and total proximal femur were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and every half-year thereafter. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, urinary N-telopeptide of type 1 collagen/creatinine, and other safety assessments were examined regularly.
Results
Two hundred out of 217 subjects in the isoflavone group and 199 out of 214 cases in placebo group completed the treatment. Serum concentrations of isoflavone metabolites, genistein and daidzein, of the intervention group were remarkably elevated following intake of isoflavones (
p
< 0.001). However, differences in the mean percentage changes of BMD throughout the treatment period were not statistically significant (lumbar spine,
p
= 0.42; total femur,
p
= 0.39) between the isoflavone and placebo groups, according to the generalized estimating equation (GEE) method. A significant time trend of bone loss was observed at both sites as assessed by the GEE method following repeated measurement of BMD (
p
< 0.001). Differences in bone marker levels were not significant between the two treatment groups.
Conclusion
Treatment with 300-mg/day isoflavones (aglycone equivalents) failed to prevent a decline in BMD in the lumbar spine or total femur compared with the placebo group.
Mechanism of the instability for indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin film transistors caused by gate-bias stress performed in the dark and light illumination was investigated in this paper. The parallel
V
...t shift with no degradation of subthreshold swing (
S.S) and the fine fitting to the stretched-exponential equation indicate that charge trapping model dominates the degradation behavior under positive gate-bias stress. In addition, the significant gate-bias dependence of
V
t shift demonstrates that electron trapping effect easily occurs under large gate-bias since the average effective energy barrier of electron injection decreases with increasing gate bias. Moreover, the noticeable decrease of threshold voltage (
V
t) shift under illuminated positive gate-bias stress and the accelerated recovery rate in the light indicate that the charge detrapping mechanism occurs under light illumination. Finally, the apparent negative
V
t shift under illuminated negative gate-bias stress was investigated in this paper. The average effectively energy barrier of electron and hole injection were extracted to clarify that the serious
V
t degradation behavior comparing with positive gate-bias stress was attributed to the lower energy barrier for hole injection.
The PRESERVE study (NCT04972097) aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the NanoKnife System to ablate prostate tissue in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa). The ...NanoKnife uses irreversible electroporation (IRE) to deliver high-voltage electrical pulses to change the permeability of cell membranes, leading to cell death. A total of 121 subjects with organ-confined PCa ≤ T2c, prostate-specific antigens (PSAs) ≤ 15 ng/mL, and a Gleason score of 3 + 4 or 4 + 3 underwent focal ablation of the index lesion. The primary endpoints included negative in-field biopsy and adverse event incidence, type, and severity through 12 months. At the time of analysis, the trial had completed accrual with preliminary follow-up available. Demographics, disease characteristics, procedural details, PSA responses, and adverse events (AEs) are presented. The median (IQR) age at screening was 67.0 (61.0–72.0) years and Gleason distribution 3 + 4 (80.2%) and 4 + 3 (19.8%). At 6 months, all patients with available data (n = 74) experienced a median (IQR) percent reduction in PSA of 67.6% (52.3–82.2%). Only ten subjects (8.3%) experienced a Grade 3 adverse event; five were procedure-related. No Grade ≥ 4 AEs were reported. This study supports prior findings that IRE prostate ablation with the NanoKnife System can be performed safely. Final results are required to fully assess oncological, functional, and safety outcomes.
Objectives
To elucidate the hypothetically different interactions between delirium and post-discharge prognostic indicators in elderly hospital inpatients with versus without dementia.
Design
...Retrospective cohort study of claims data by Taiwan National Health Insurance beneficiaries between 2002–2013.
Setting
Records of public hospital admissions in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research database.
Participants
Propensity-score matched subgroups of patients with delirium superimposed on dementia (n = 922) versus dementia alone (n = 922), delirium alone (n = 680) versus neither delirium nor dementia (n = 680).
Measurements
Mortality, emergency department visits, readmissions, and psychotropic drug use, within 30, 180, and 365 days of discharge, were analyzed using multivariate proportional hazards or logistic regression analyses.
Results
Delirium superimposed on dementia was not associated with increased post-discharge mortality, or emergency department visits, but significantly increased the risk of readmissions at 365-day follow-up (adjusted HR, 95% CI: 1.26, 1.01–1.56). However, delirium without dementia was significantly associated with increased post-discharge mortality, emergency department visits and readmissions at 180 days and 365 days (respective adjusted HRs: mortality, 1.63 and 1.79; adjusted ORs: emergency department visits, 1.89 and 1.81; readmissions, 1.47 and 1.53). Delirium in patients both with dementia and without, was associated with six-fold higher likelihood of in-hospital psychotropic drug use, and doubled post-discharge psychotropic drug usage.
Conclusions
The obvious association between in-hospital delirium and worsened long-term prognosis, irrespective of dementia, raises awareness to warrants proactive and multimodal prevention and intervention strategies. Furthermore, the mechanisms about different influence of delirium for patients with/without dementia need to be further explored.
Carrot, cucumber, and broccoli seed flours were extracted with 50% acetone and evaluated for their phytochemical compositions along with their potential gut microbiota modulating, free radical ...scavenging, and anti-inflammatory capacities. Nine and ten compounds were detected in the broccoli and carrot seed flour extracts, with kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and glucoraphanin as the primary component of each, respectively. All three seed flour extracts enhanced total number of gut bacteria and altered the abundance of specific bacterial phylum or genus in vitro. The broccoli seed flour extract had the greatest relative DPPH radical scavenging capacity, oxygen radical absorbing capacity, and hydroxyl radical (HO•) scavenging capacity values of 85, 634, and 270 μmol trolox equivalent (TE)/g, respectively. Carrot seed flour extract showed the greatest ABTS•+ scavenging capacity of 250 μmol TE/g. Also, three seed flour extracts suppressed LPS induced IL-1β and COX-2 mRNA expressions in J774A.1 cells. The results might be used to promote the value-added utilization of these vegetable seed flours in improving human health.
In this paper, a meshless method for solving the eigenfrequencies of clamped plates using the radial basis function (RBF) is proposed. The coefficients of influence matrices are easily determined by ...the two-point function. By employing the RBF in the imaginary-part fundamental solution, true eigensolutions instead of spurious one are obtained for plate vibration. In order to obtain the eigenvalues and boundary modes at the same time, singular value decomposition technique is utilized. Two examples, circular and rectangular clamped plates, are demonstrated to see the validity of the present method.
Summary
To explore that it is necessary to routinely detect chromosomes in infertile patients, we investigated peripheral blood lymphocyte karyotype in 16,294 male infertile patients in the ...north‐east of China and analysed the incidence and type of chromosomal anomaly and polymorphism. G‐banding karyotype analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes was performed in 16,294 cases. Semen analysis was performed three times in all the men. PCR and FISH confirmed the presence of the SRY gene. The rate of chromosomal anomaly in the 16,294 male infertile patients was 4.15% (677/16,294). The rates of chromosomal anomaly were 0.24% in normal semen group, 12.6% in light oligoasthenospermia group, 4.7% in moderate‐to‐severe oligoasthenospermia group and 9.59% in azoospermia group. There are two male infertile patients with 45,X chromosome karyotype. One X male patient had confirmed the presence of the SRY gene and FISH analysis demonstrated its location on the p arm of chromosome 13. The other X male patient had not found SRY gene in its whole‐genome DNA. Meanwhile, sperm motility is slightly oligo‐asthenozoospermic at the age of 35–39 and nearly azoospermic at the age of 40–45. As the rates of chromosomal anomaly are 0.24% and 12.6% even in normal semen group and light oligoasthenospermia group, the rates of chromosomal polymorphism are 5.36% and 25.51% in normal semen group and light oligoasthenospermia group, respectively; it is necessary to explore peripheral blood lymphocyte karyotype in all infertile couples. We mentioned that Y, 1, 2, 9 and 12 chromosomes were quite important about male infertility. These findings demonstrate that autosomal retention of SRY can be submicroscopic and emphasise the importance of PCR and FISH in the genetic workup of the monosomic X male. At the same time, it suggested that male infertility might be related to meiotic disturbances with spermatogenetic arrest in Y‐autosome translocations, which could result in infertility by reduction of sperm production. Last but not least, ageing is one of the factors that could reduce sperm motility and quality.
Fifty-five inclusive single nucleon-removal cross sections from medium mass neutron-rich nuclei impinging on a hydrogen target at ∼250 MeV/nucleon are measured at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam ...Factory. Systematically higher cross sections are found for proton removal from nuclei with an even number of protons as compared to odd-proton number projectiles for a given neutron separation energy. Neutron removal cross sections display no even-odd splitting, contrary to nuclear cascade model predictions. Both effects are understood through simple considerations of neutron separation energies and bound state level densities originating in pairing correlations in the daughter nuclei. These conclusions are supported by comparison with semimicroscopic model predictions, highlighting the enhanced role of low-lying level densities in nucleon-removal cross sections from loosely bound nuclei.
The metal cation symporter ZIP8 (SLC39A8) is a transmembrane protein that imports the essential micronutrients iron, manganese, and zinc, as well as heavy toxic metal cadmium (Cd). It has been ...recently suggested that selenium (Se), another essential micronutrient that has long been known for its role in human health and cancer risk, may also be transported by the ZIP8 protein. Several mutations in the ZIP8 gene are associated with the aberrant ion homeostasis of cells and can lead to human diseases. However, the intricate relationships between ZIP8 mutations, cellular Se homeostasis, and human diseases (including cancers and illnesses associated with Cd exposure) have not been explored. To further verify if ZIP8 is involved in cellular Se transportation, we first knockout (KO) the endogenous expression of ZIP8 in the HeLa cells using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The elimination of ZIP8 expression was examined by PCR, DNA sequencing, immunoblot, and immunofluorescence analyses. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry indicated that reduced uptake of Se, along with other micronutrients and Cd, was observed in the ZIP8-KO cells. In contrast, when ZIP8 was overexpressed, increased Se uptake could be detected in the ZIP8-overexpressing cells. Additionally, we found that ZIP8 with disease-associated single-point mutations G38R, G204C, and S335T, but not C113S, showed reduced Se transport ability. We then evaluated the potential of Se on Cd cytotoxicity prevention and therapy of cancers. Results indicated that Se could suppress Cd-induced cytotoxicity via decreasing the intracellular Cd transported by ZIP8, and Se exhibited excellent anticancer activity against not all but only selected cancer cell lines, under restricted experimental conditions. Moreover, clinical-based bioinformatic analyses revealed that up-regulated ZIP8 gene expression was common across multiple cancer types, and selenoproteins that were significantly co-expressed with ZIP8 in these cancers had been identified. Taken together, this study concludes that ZIP8 is an important protein in modulating cellular Se levels and provides insights into the roles of ZIP8 and Se in disease prevention and therapy.
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