Highly efficient organic/inorganic hybrid perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) based on graphene anode are developed for the first time. Chemically inert graphene avoids quenching of excitons by ...diffused metal atom species from indium tin oxide. The flexible PeLEDs with graphene anode on plastic substrate show good bending stability; they provide an alternative and reliable flexible electrode for highly efficient flexible PeLEDs.
X-ray crystallography often requires non-native constructs involving mutations or truncations, and is challenged by membrane proteins and large multicomponent complexes. We present here a bottom-up ...endogenous structural proteomics approach whereby near-atomic-resolution cryo electron microscopy (cryoEM) maps are reconstructed ab initio from unidentified protein complexes enriched directly from the endogenous cellular milieu, followed by identification and atomic modeling of the proteins. The proteins in each complex are identified using cryoID, a program we developed to identify proteins in ab initio cryoEM maps. As a proof of principle, we applied this approach to the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum, an organism that has resisted conventional structural-biology approaches, to obtain atomic models of multiple protein complexes implicated in intraerythrocytic survival of the parasite. Our approach is broadly applicable for determining structures of undiscovered protein complexes enriched directly from endogenous sources.
Electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) systems are mainly divided into three major paradigms: motor imagery (MI), event-related potential (ERP), and steady-state visually ...evoked potential (SSVEP). Here, we present a BCI dataset that includes the three major BCI paradigms with a large number of subjects over multiple sessions. In addition, information about the psychological and physiological conditions of BCI users was obtained using a questionnaire, and task-unrelated parameters such as resting state, artifacts, and electromyography of both arms were also recorded. We evaluated the decoding accuracies for the individual paradigms and determined performance variations across both subjects and sessions. Furthermore, we looked for more general, severe cases of BCI illiteracy than have been previously reported in the literature.
Average decoding accuracies across all subjects and sessions were 71.1% (± 0.15), 96.7% (± 0.05), and 95.1% (± 0.09), and rates of BCI illiteracy were 53.7%, 11.1%, and 10.2% for MI, ERP, and SSVEP, respectively. Compared to the ERP and SSVEP paradigms, the MI paradigm exhibited large performance variations between both subjects and sessions. Furthermore, we found that 27.8% (15 out of 54) of users were universally BCI literate, i.e., they were able to proficiently perform all three paradigms. Interestingly, we found no universally illiterate BCI user, i.e., all participants were able to control at least one type of BCI system.
Our EEG dataset can be utilized for a wide range of BCI-related research questions. All methods for the data analysis in this study are supported with fully open-source scripts that can aid in every step of BCI technology. Furthermore, our results support previous but disjointed findings on the phenomenon of BCI illiteracy.
A highly scalable synapse device based on a junctionless (JL) ferroelectric (FE) FinFET is presented for neuromorphic applications. The synaptic behaviors of the JL ...metal-ferroelectric-insulator-silicon FinFET were experimentally demonstrated after verifying the ferroelectric characteristics of the HfZrO X (HZO) film using a metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitor. The fabricated synapse showed distinguishable polarization switching behaviors with gradually controllable channel conductance. From neural network simulations using the proposed JL FE FinFET as synapses, the pattern recognition accuracy for hand-written digits was validated to be approximately 80% for neuromorphic applications.
Background and Aim
Decreased kidney function is a putative risk factor for various cancers. However, few studies have investigated the association between a decreased estimated glomerular filtration ...rate (eGFR) and incident pancreatic cancer. We aimed to investigate the risk of incident pancreatic cancer according to eGFR categories.
Methods
In this retrospective cohort study, we included 359 721 adults who underwent health checkups in 2009 or 2010 by using the Korean National Health Insurance Database. The study population was categorized into four groups by eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation: group 1 (eGFR < 45), group 2 (eGFR ≥ 45 to < 60), group 3 (eGFR ≥ 60 to < 90), and group 4 (eGFR ≥ 90). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the incidence of pancreatic cancer until 2019 by comparing the eGFR groups.
Results
During the 3 493 589.05 person‐years of follow‐up, 1702 pancreatic cancer cases were identified. Compared with group 4 (eGFR ≥ 90), HRs and 95% CIs for the incidence of pancreatic cancer were 1.39 (1.24–1.56) for group 3 (eGFR ≥ 60 to < 90), 1.79 (1.47–2.16) for group 2 (eGFR ≥ 45 to < 60), and 2.05 (1.62–2.60) for group 1 (eGFR < 45) in the multivariate adjusted model.
Conclusions
Decreased eGFR was significantly associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in Korean population. Further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between a decreased eGFR and the risk of pancreatic cancer in other ethnic groups.
In Korean population, lower eGFR was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Surface treatment of implants facilitates osseointegration, with nanostructured surfaces exhibiting accelerated peri-implant bone regeneration. This study compared bone-to-implant contact (BIC) in ...implants with hydroxyapatite (HA), sand-blasted and acid-etched (SLA), and SLA with calcium (Ca)-coated (XPEED®) surfaces. Seventy-five disk-shaped grade 4 Ti specimens divided into three groups were prepared, with 16 implants per group tested in New Zealand white rabbits. Surface characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), digital microscopy, and a contact angle analyzer. Cell viability, proliferation, and adhesion were assessed using MC3T3-E1 cells. Apatite formation was evaluated using modified simulated body fluid (m-SBF) incubation. After 4 weeks of healing, the outcomes reviewed were BIC, bone area (BA), removal torque tests, and histomorphometric evaluation. A microstructure analysis revealed irregular pores across all groups, with the XPEED group exhibiting a nanostructured Ca-coated surface. Surface characterization showed a crystalline CaTiO3 layer on XPEED surfaces, with evenly distributed Ca penetrating the implants. All surfaces provided excellent environments for cell growth. The XPEED and SLA groups showed significantly higher cell density and viability with superior osseointegration than HA (p < 0.05); XPEED exhibited the highest absorbance values. Thus, XPEED surface treatment improved implant performance, biocompatibility, stability, and osseointegration.
The putative Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins (PTEX) is essential for transport of malarial effector proteins across a parasite-encasing vacuolar membrane into host erythrocytes, but the ...mechanism of this process remains unknown. Here we show that PTEX is a bona fide translocon by determining structures of the PTEX core complex at near-atomic resolution using cryo-electron microscopy. We isolated the endogenous PTEX core complex containing EXP2, PTEX150 and HSP101 from Plasmodium falciparum in the 'engaged' and 'resetting' states of endogenous cargo translocation using epitope tags inserted using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In the structures, EXP2 and PTEX150 interdigitate to form a static, funnel-shaped pseudo-seven-fold-symmetric protein-conducting channel spanning the vacuolar membrane. The spiral-shaped AAA+ HSP101 hexamer is tethered above this funnel, and undergoes pronounced compaction that allows three of six tyrosine-bearing pore loops lining the HSP101 channel to dissociate from the cargo, resetting the translocon for the next threading cycle. Our work reveals the mechanism of P. falciparum effector export, and will inform structure-based design of drugs targeting this unique translocon.
Background
Components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), such as elevated fasting glucose levels and abdominal obesity, have been suggested as potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer. However, ...data are still insufficient to assure the influence of MetS on incident pancreatic cancer. The objective of the current study was to investigate the association between MetS, metabolic components, and the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Methods
In the Korea National Health Information Database, 223,138 individuals who were without pancreatic cancer in 2009 were enrolled and followed until 2013. They were categorized into 4 groups according to the number of baseline metabolic components (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4‐5). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for incident pancreatic cancer according to the presence of MetS and the number of metabolic components. In addition, the risk of pancreatic cancer was evaluated in individuals who had a single metabolic component.
Results
The presence of MetS was significantly associated with incident pancreatic cancer (adjusted HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.19‐1.81). The group with 4 or 5 baseline metabolic components had a higher risk of pancreatic cancer than the other groups (0 components: reference category; 1 component: adjusted HR, 0.94 95% CI, 0.61‐1.45; 2 components: adjusted HR, 1.03 95% CI, 0.68‐1.56; 3 components: adjusted HR, 1.35 95% CI, 0.89‐2.04; 4‐5 components: adjusted HR, 1.64 95% CI, 1.06‐2.51). Regarding associations between the individual metabolic components and pancreatic cancer, no metabolic component alone had a statistically significant association with pancreatic cancer.
Conclusions
MetS is a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The presence of ≥4 metabolic components leads to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer even within categories of the MetS.
The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a potential risk factor for incident pancreatic cancer. The presence of abnormalities in more components of the MetS leads to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer even within categories of the MetS.
Nucleation in atomic crystallization remains poorly understood, despite advances in classical nucleation theory. The nucleation process has been described to involve a nonclassical mechanism that ...includes a spontaneous transition from disordered to crystalline states, but a detailed understanding of dynamics requires further investigation. In situ electron microscopy of heterogeneous nucleation of individual gold nanocrystals with millisecond temporal resolution shows that the early stage of atomic crystallization proceeds through dynamic structural fluctuations between disordered and crystalline states, rather than through a single irreversible transition. Our experimental and theoretical analyses support the idea that structural fluctuations originate from size-dependent thermodynamic stability of the two states in atomic clusters. These findings, based on dynamics in a real atomic system, reshape and improve our understanding of nucleation mechanisms in atomic crystallization.
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