In this work, hydrogen (H) plasma treatment is implemented to dope indium gallium zinc oxide (InGaZnO), zinc oxide (ZnO), and indium oxide (In2O3) thin-film transistors (TFTs). We systematically ...analyze the active defect states inside these n-type metal oxides and reveal how they are impacted by H dopant incorporation, combining the device transfer characteristics (including the threshold voltage, subthreshold slope, and carrier mobility), the X-ray photoelectron spectra, and numerical and theoretical investigations. An increase of the field-effect mobility of these TFTs is mainly attributed to the decreased interface and bulk tail-distributed traps, after an appropriate amount of H dopants is incorporated. In ZnO, hydrogen exclusively acts as a shallow donor during the plasma treatment, while the zinc vacancies Zn(Vac) cannot be passivated by the H dopants as no improvement of the subthreshold slope (SS) is observed in the hydrogenated ZnO TFT. The H interstitials (Hi) incorporated into In2O3 are stable in the + charge state at equilibrium, then change into the − charge state as the Fermi level energy EF gets closer to the bottom of the conduction band. Due to the H insertion into an oxygen vacancy VO, the VOH complex (acting as an acceptor) is formed in InGaZnO with increased H plasma treatment duration, leading to the degraded SS. This paper clarifies the H dopants’ role and the different dominant defects inside the three types of TFTs, which may benefit systematic understanding and exploration of H dopant incorporation into InGaZnO, ZnO and In2O3 films for TFT improvement and optimization.
The train operation scheme of urban rail transit is a transportation plan formulated to fully meet the needs of passenger travel under the constraints of signal system capacity, turn-back capacity, ...and so on. Facing an unexpected epidemic, it was particularly important for passengers to travel safely and in an orderly manner. With an ever-increasing passenger flow due to work resumption, this paper proposes an optimization method for the urban rail train operation scheme based on the control of the target load factor according to the preparation process of the train operation scheme. The proposed method obtained the optimal train running interval and routing scheme based on analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution of passenger flow. The north section of Beijing Subway Line 8 was taken as an example. After optimization, for trains in the morning peak hour in the downward direction, the maximum load factor for the collinear section of the full-length routing and short-turn routing was reduced by 21%, and the matching effect of the transportation capacity and volume in the non-collinear was improved. In general, the maximum load factor in the downward direction after optimization was 80%, which met the target control requirements. The results show that the optimization method plays an important role in balancing the load factor in each cross-section and realizing the optimal coupling of passenger flow and train flow.
Mutations on γ-secretase subunits are associated with neurologic diseases. Whereas the role of γ-secretase in neurogenesis has been intensively studied, little is known about its role in ...astrogliogenesis. Recent evidence has demonstrated that astrocytes can be generated from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). However, it is not well understood what mechanism may control OPCs to differentiate into astrocytes. To address the above questions, we generated two independent lines of oligodendrocyte lineage-specific presenilin enhancer 2 (
) conditional KO mice. Both male and female mice were used. Here we demonstrate that conditional inactivation of Pen-2 mediated by
or
causes enhanced generation of astrocytes. Lineage-tracing experiments indicate that abnormally generated astrocytes are derived from Cre-expressing OPCs in the CNS in
conditional KO mice. Mechanistic analysis reveals that deletion of Pen-2 inhibits the Notch signaling to upregulate signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, which triggers activation of GFAP to promote astrocyte differentiation. Together, these novel findings indicate that Pen-2 regulates the specification of astrocytes from OPCs through the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling.
Astrocytes and oligodendrocyte (OLs) play critical roles in the brain. Recent evidence has demonstrated that astrocytes can be generated from OL precursor cells (OPCs). However, it remains poorly understood what mechanism governs the differentiation of OPCs into astrocytes. In this study, we took advantage of OL lineage cells specific presenilin enhancer 2 (Pen-2) conditional KO mice. We show that deletion of Pen-2 leads to dramatically enhanced astrocyte differentiation from OPCs in the CNS. Mechanistic analysis reveals that deletion of Pen-2 inhibits Hes1 and activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 to trigger GFAP activation which promotes astrocyte differentiation. Overall, this study identifies a novel function of Pen-2 in astrogliogenesis from OPCs.
A novel spherical anatase TiO2 mesocrystal/SrTiO3 heterojunction with favored CrVI adsorption, bolstered charge carrier separation and well-preserved reduction capability was successfully produced, ...which exhibited enhanced activity toward photocatalytic reduction of CrVI.
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•Spherical anatase mesocrystal/SrTiO3 nanodot type-II heterojunction was prepared.•Favored CrVI adsorption and bolstered charge carrier separation were realized.•The heterojunction showed remarkably enhanced photocatalytic reduction of CrVI.
Mesoporous anatase TiO2 sphere based materials has long been the focus of intensive research dealing with environmental-related issues due to their significant advantages in terms of structural isotropy, high surface area, structural stability, and low cost. However, in most cases, the employed mesoporous anatase spheres were comprised of nanocrystalline subunits with random crystalline orientations, which means that numerous grain boundaries exist in the sphere-shaped particles, suppressing their performance in various applications. Herein, by using mesocrystalline anatase submicrospheres that were synthesized via utilizing SO42- ions to modulate the growth dynamics of anatase crystals in the green mixed solvents of PEG-400 and H2O as both template and reactant, novel sphere-shaped anatase mesocrystal/SrTiO3 nanodot heterostructures were successfully produced. These spherical anatase mesocrystal/SrTiO3 heterostructures exhibited noticeably enhanced activity toward reduction of hexavalent chromium (CrVI) under stimulated solar light irradiation, which was largely attributed to their favored adsorption of CrVI, bolstered photogenerated charge carrier separation and well-preserved reduction capability due to the construction of a well-defined type-II heterojunction with tight interfacial contacts and strong interactions. This work will be useful for the designed fabrication of micro/nanostructured TiO2 based photocatalysts with complex spherical morphologies for photocatalytic applications in environmental purification.
Background The prognosis of patients under existing neoadjuvant chemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy requires improvement. Whereas programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors have shown ...promising response in advanced esophageal cancer, they have not been used in the perioperative treatment of resectable locally advanced esophageal cancer. Whether immunotherapy can be incorporated into neoadjuvant therapy has became a challenging question for researchers. Case presentation We present a case of a 65-year-old male who had a history of progressive dysphagia for approximately 1 month. He underwent pertinent studies including computed tomography (CT)ï¼gastroscopyï¼and pathological biopsy resulting in a diagnosis of medium-low differentiated squamous carcinoma of the thoracic segment of the esophagus (cT2N2M0 stage III). After 4 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy, gastroscopy showed the lesion in the esophagus was no longer present. Subsequently, the patient received thoracoscopic radical resection of esophageal cancer and achieved a pathological complete response (pCR) in postoperative pathological evaluation. During the whole treatment, no adverse effect was recorded and to date no evidence of recurrence has been recorded. Conclusion Our report suggest that neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy not only improve the R0 resection and pCR rate in patients with resectable locally advanced esophageal cancer, but also the adverse effects are within the control range. However, the selection of therapeutic strategy, predictors of response to treatment, and interval time between neoadjuvant treatment and surgery still await more reliable evidence-based studies with large prospective samples. Keywords: Neoadjuvant therapy, Immunotherapy, PD-1 inhibitor, Esophageal cancer
This study aimed to identify facilitators and barriers to adherence to a Baduanjin program experienced by breast cancer survivors (BCSs) during chemotherapy.
Semi-structured interviews with 10 BCSs ...in an interprofessional BaDuanJin program were conducted to understand their experiences, including the facilitators and barriers concerning exercise. Content analysis was performed following the behaviour change wheel (BCW).
The following five domains emerged from the analysis: 1) Capacity: Recovery of upper limb function, symptom relief, and emotional release are facilitators; periodic treatment and related symptoms and negative emotions are barriers; 2) Motivation: Reflection on health, positive belief, and weight control are facilitators; a doubtful attitude is a barrier; 3) Opportunity: Recuperating at home is a facilitator; 4) Intervention: Facilitators include simple and gentle exercise at home, comprehensive tutoring by an interprofessional team, treating exercise as a task occurring at a fixed time, and peer support. The hindrances are work and home duties prior to exercise and a lack of group activities; and 5) Policy: Social media promotion and less support from physicians are facilitators and barriers, respectively.
Identifying facilitators and barriers leads to improved support from health professionals, which is required to provide effective strategies to increase adherence to BaDuanJin exercise.
To compare the diagnostic performance of three readers using BI-RADS and Kaiser score (KS) based on mass and non-mass enhancement (NME) lesions.OBJECTIVESTo compare the diagnostic performance of ...three readers using BI-RADS and Kaiser score (KS) based on mass and non-mass enhancement (NME) lesions.A total of 630 lesions, 393 malignant and 237 benign, 458 mass and 172 NME, were analyzed. Three radiologists with 3 years, 6 years, and 13 years of experience made diagnoses. 596 cases had diffusion-weighted imaging, and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured. For lesions with ADC > 1.4 × 10-3 mm2/s, the KS was reduced by 4 as the modified KS +, and the benefit was assessed.METHODSA total of 630 lesions, 393 malignant and 237 benign, 458 mass and 172 NME, were analyzed. Three radiologists with 3 years, 6 years, and 13 years of experience made diagnoses. 596 cases had diffusion-weighted imaging, and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured. For lesions with ADC > 1.4 × 10-3 mm2/s, the KS was reduced by 4 as the modified KS +, and the benefit was assessed.When using BI-RADS, AUC was 0.878, 0.915, and 0.941 for mass, and 0.771, 0.838, 0.902 for NME for Reader-1, 2, and 3, respectively, better for mass than for NME. The diagnostic accuracy of KS was improved compared to BI-RADS for less experienced readers. For Reader-1, AUC was increased from 0.878 to 0.916 for mass (p = 0.005) and from 0.771 to 0.822 for NME (p = 0.124). Based on the cut-off value of BI-RADS ≥ 4B and KS ≥ 5 as malignant, the sensitivity of KS by Readers-1 and -2 was significantly higher for both Mass and NME. When ADC was considered to change to modified KS +, the AUC and the accuracy for all three readers were improved, showing higher specificity with slightly degraded sensitivity.RESULTSWhen using BI-RADS, AUC was 0.878, 0.915, and 0.941 for mass, and 0.771, 0.838, 0.902 for NME for Reader-1, 2, and 3, respectively, better for mass than for NME. The diagnostic accuracy of KS was improved compared to BI-RADS for less experienced readers. For Reader-1, AUC was increased from 0.878 to 0.916 for mass (p = 0.005) and from 0.771 to 0.822 for NME (p = 0.124). Based on the cut-off value of BI-RADS ≥ 4B and KS ≥ 5 as malignant, the sensitivity of KS by Readers-1 and -2 was significantly higher for both Mass and NME. When ADC was considered to change to modified KS +, the AUC and the accuracy for all three readers were improved, showing higher specificity with slightly degraded sensitivity.The benefit of KS compared to BI-RADS was most noticeable for the less experienced readers in improving sensitivity. Compared to KS, KS + can improve specificity for all three readers. For NME, the KS and KS + criteria need to be further improved.CONCLUSIONThe benefit of KS compared to BI-RADS was most noticeable for the less experienced readers in improving sensitivity. Compared to KS, KS + can improve specificity for all three readers. For NME, the KS and KS + criteria need to be further improved.KS provides an intuitive method for diagnosing lesions on breast MRI. BI-RADS and KS face greater difficulties in evaluating NME compared to mass lesions. Adding ADC to the KS can improve specificity with slightly degraded sensitivity.CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENTKS provides an intuitive method for diagnosing lesions on breast MRI. BI-RADS and KS face greater difficulties in evaluating NME compared to mass lesions. Adding ADC to the KS can improve specificity with slightly degraded sensitivity.KS provides an intuitive method for interpreting breast lesions on MRI, most helpful for novice readers. KS, compared to BI-RADS, improved sensitivity in both mass and NME groups for less experienced readers. NME lesions were considered during the development of the KS flowchart, but may need to be better defined.KEY POINTSKS provides an intuitive method for interpreting breast lesions on MRI, most helpful for novice readers. KS, compared to BI-RADS, improved sensitivity in both mass and NME groups for less experienced readers. NME lesions were considered during the development of the KS flowchart, but may need to be better defined.
Responsive chromic materials are highly desirable in the fields of displays, anti-counterfeiting, and camouflage, but their advanced applications are usually limited by the unrealized delicate and ...independent tunability of their three intrinsic attributes of color. This work achieves the separate, continuous, and reversible modulation of structural color brightness and hue with an aqueous suspension of dual-responsive Fe
3
O
4
@polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)@poly(
N
-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) flexible photonic nanochains. The underlying modulation mechanism of color brightness was experimentally and numerically deciphered by analyzing the morphological responses to stimuli. When an increasing magnetic field was applied, the random worm-like flexible photonic nanochains gradually orientated along the field direction, due to the dominant magnetic dipole interaction over the thermal motion, lengthening the orientation segment length up to the whole of the nanochains. Consequently, the suspension displays increased color brightness (characterized by diffraction intensity). Meanwhile, the color hue (characterized by diffraction frequency) could be controlled by temperature, due to the volume changes of the interparticle PNIPAM. The achieved diverse color modulation advances the next-generation responsive chromic materials and enriches the basic understanding of the color tuning mechanisms. With versatile and facile color tunability and shape patterning, the developed responsive chromic liquid promises to have attractive potential in full-color displays and in adaptive camouflages.
The brightness and hue of structural colors can be independently, continuously, and reversibly tuned in an aqueous suspension containing Fe
3
O
4
@poly(
N
-isopropyl acrylamide) flexible photonic nanochains by changing the magnetic field and temperature.
The concept that Müller glia (MG) are major retinal supporting cells for neuroprotection under various stresses is well established. However, the detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms of ...MG-mediated neuroprotection remain elusive. Particularly, the role and mechanism of MG in neuroprotection under diabetic and hypoxic stresses are largely unknown. In this article, we will discuss the role and mechanisms of a major growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in mediating MG viability and its potential impact on neuronal integrity in diabetes and hypoxia, demonstrate results on alternative mechanisms to VEGF signaling for MG and neural protection, and highlight the relevance of our work to the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, wet age-related macular degeneration, and other hypoxic retinal vascular diseases.
Recently, the highly pathogenic serotype 4 fowl adenovirus (FAdV-4) and duck adenovirus 3 (DAdV-3) were outbroken and widespread, causing substantial economic losses to the duck industry. Therefore, ...there is an urgent need to generate a recombinant genetic engineering vaccine candidate against both FAdV-4 and DAdV-3. In this study, a novel recombinant FAdV-4 expressing the Fiber-2 protein of DAdV-3, designated as rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3, was generated based on CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre-LoxP systems. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and western blot (WB) showed that the Fiber-2 protein of DAdV-3 in rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3 was expressed successfully. Moreover, the growth curve revealed that rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3 replicated efficiently in LMH cells and even showed a stronger replication ability compared to the wild type FAdV-4. The generation of the recombinant rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3 provides a potential vaccine candidate against both FAdV-4 and DAdV-3.
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