A Novel 4H-SiC Asymmetric MOSFET with Step Trench.

In this article, a silicon carbide (SiC) asymmetric MOSFET with a step trench (AST-MOS) is proposed and investigated. The AST-MOS features a step trench with an extra electron current path on one side, thereby increasing the channel density of the device. A thick oxide layer is also employed at the bottom of the step trench, which is used as a new voltage-withstanding region. Furthermore, the ratio of the gate-to-drain capacitance (Cgd) to the gate-to-source capacitance (Cgs) is significantly reduced in the AST-MOS. As a result, the AST-MOS compared with the double-trench MOSFET (DT-MOS) and deep double-trench MOSFET (DDT-MOS), is demonstrated to have an increase of 200 V and 50 V in the breakdown voltage (BV), decreases of 21.8% and 10% in the specific on-resistance (Ron,sp), a reduction of about 1 V in the induced crosstalk voltage, and lower switching loss. Additionally, the trade-off between the resistance of the JFET region (RJFET) and the electric field in the gate oxide (Eox) is studied for a step trench and a deep trench. The improved performances suggest that a step trench is a competitive option in advanced device design.

Trends in the Prevalence of Common Retinal and Optic Nerve Diseases in China: An Artificial Intelligence Based National Screening.

Purpose: Retinal and optic nerve diseases have become the primary cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness. However, there is still a lack of thorough evaluation regarding their prevalence in China. Methods: This artificial intelligence-based national screening study applied a previously developed deep learning algorithm, named the Retinal Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis System (RAIDS). De-identified personal medical records from January 2019 to December 2021 were extracted from 65 examination centers in 19 provinces of China. Crude prevalence and age-sex-adjusted prevalence were calculated by mapping to the standard population in the seventh national census. Results: In 2021, adjusted referral possible glaucoma (63.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 57.12-68.90 cases per 1000), epiretinal macular membrane (21.84, 95% CI = 15.64-29.22), age-related macular degeneration (13.93, 95% CI = 11.09-17.17), and diabetic retinopathy (11.33, 95% CI = 8.89-13.77) ranked the highest among 10 diseases. Female participants had significantly higher adjusted prevalence of pathologic myopia, yet a lower adjusted prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, referral possible glaucoma, and hypertensive retinopathy than male participants. From 2019 to 2021, the adjusted prevalence of retinal vein occlusion (0.99, 95% CI = 0.73-1.26 to 1.88, 95% CI = 1.42-2.44), macular hole (0.59, 95% CI = 0.41-0.82 to 1.12, 95% CI = 0.76-1.51), and hypertensive retinopathy (0.53, 95% CI = 0.40-0.67 to 0.77, 95% CI = 0.60-0.95) significantly increased. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in participants under 50 years old significant increased. Conclusions: Retinal and optic nerve diseases are an important public health concern in China. Further well-conceived epidemiological studies are required to validate the observed increased prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and macular hole nationwide. Translational Relevance: This artificial intelligence system can be a potential tool to monitor the prevalence of major retinal and optic nerve diseases over a wide geographic area.

Novel SiC Trench MOSFET with Improved Third-Quadrant Performance and Switching Speed.

A SiC double-trench MOSFET embedded with a lower-barrier diode and an L-shaped gate-source in the gate trench, showing improved reverse conduction and an improved switching performance, was proposed and studied with 2-D simulations. Compared with a double-trench MOSFET (DT-MOS) and a DT-MOS with a channel-MOS diode (DTC-MOS), the proposed MOS showed a lower voltage drop (VF) at IS = 100 A/cm2, which can prevent bipolar degradation at the same blocking voltage (BV) and decrease the maximum oxide electric field (Emox). Additionally, the gate-drain capacitance (Cgd) and gate-drain charge (Qgd) of the proposed MOSFET decreased significantly because the source extended to the bottom of the gate, and the overlap between the gate electrode and drain electrode decreased. Although the proposed MOS had a greater Ron,sp than the DT-MOS and DTC-MOS, it had a lower switching loss and greater advantages for high-frequency applications.

Evaluation of risk factors, treatment options, and prognostic-related factors in patients with benign ureteral strictures: An 8-year single-center experience.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the etiology, therapeutic effect, and prognosis-related factors of benign ureteral strictures. METHODS: We analyzed the date of 142 patients with benign ureteral strictures from 2013 to 2021. Ninety-five patients received endourological treatment and 47 patients underwent reconstruction. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative information were compared and analyzed. Symptomatic improvement and radiographic blockage alleviation defined therapeutic success. RESULTS: Stone-related factors caused 85.2% of cases. The overall success rate of endourological treatment was 51.6% versus 95.7% of reconstruction (p < 0.01). However, endourological treatment was better in terms of postoperative hospital stay time, operation time, and intraoperative blood loss (p < 0.001). In endourological group, patients with stricture length ≤2 cm, mild-to-moderate hydronephrosis, proximal or distal stricture had a higher success rate. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the surgical method was the only independent risk factor affecting success and recurrence. Reconstruction success rate was higher than endourological treatment (p = 0.001, OR 0.057, 95% CI (0.011-0.291)), and recurrence rate was also lower (p = 0.001, HR 0.074, 95% CI (0.016-0.338)). No obvious recurrence was seen in reconstruction, and the median recurrence time in endourological treatment was 51 months. CONCLUSIONS: Stone-related factors are an important cause of benign ureteral strictures. Reconstruction is the gold standard treatment due to its high success rate and low recurrence rate. Endourological therapy is also preferred as the initial treatment in proximal or distal ureter with length ≤2 cm and mild-to-moderate hydronephrosis. Further close follow-up is required after treatment.

Novel mutations in ZP1: Expanding the mutational spectrum associated with empty follicle syndrome in infertile women.

Empty follicle syndrome (EFS) is a serious and complex reproductive complication for infertile women suffering from the recurrent failure of oocyte retrieval in an in vitro fertilization procedure, and its pathogenesis remains obscure. Increasing evidence highlights the genetic basis of EFS occurrence. In this study, we identified two novel missense mutations (c.1127G > A, p.C376Y and c.325C > T, p.R109C), two novel frameshift mutations (c.800_801delAG, p.E267Gfs*80 and c.1815_1825delGGTCCTTTTGC, p.V606Afs*42), one novel nonsense mutation (c.199G > T, p.E67Ter), and three reported mutations (c.769C > T, p.Q257Ter; c.1430 + 1G > T, p.C478Ter and c.1169_1176delTTTTCCCA, p.I390Tfs*16) in five unrelated probands, showing similar EFS manifestations, which expands the mutational spectrum of individuals with autosomal recessive ZP1. Current research will provide a better understanding of the biological functions of ZP1, and some insight into the determination of ZP1 variation as an additional rule for assessing the EFS disease.

Naringenin attenuates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by down-regulating the NLRP3/NF-κB pathway in mice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Naringenin, a flavonoid compound with strong anti-inflammatory activity, attenuated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet in mice. However, the mechanisms underlying this suppression of inflammation and NAFLD remain unknown. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: WT and NLRP3-/- mice were fed with MCD diet for 7 days to induce NAFLD and were given naringenin by gavage at the same time. in vitro experiments used HepG2 cells, primary hepatocytes, and Kupffer cells (KCs) stimulated by LPS or LPS plus oleic acid (OA). KEY RESULTS: Treating WT mice with naringenin (100 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 ) attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation in the livers of mice given the MCD diet. NLRP3-/- mice showed less hepatic lipid accumulation than WT mice, but naringenin did not ameliorate hepatic lipid accumulation further in NLRP3-/- mice. Treating the HepG2 cells with naringenin or NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 reduced lipid accumulation. Naringenin inhibited activation of the NLRP3/NF-κB pathway stimulated by OA together with LPS. In KCs isolated from WT mice, naringenin inhibited NLRP3 expression. Naringenin also inhibited lipid deposition, NLRP3 and IL-1ß expression in WT hepatocytes but was not effective in NLRP3-/- hepatocytes. After re-expressing NLRP3 in NLRP3-/- hepatocytes by adenovirus, the anti-lipid deposition effect of naringenin was restored. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Naringenin prevented NAFLD via down-regulating the NLRP3/NF-κB signalling pathway both in KCs and in hepatocytes, thus attenuating inflammation in the mice livers.

Nanoliposome improves inhibitory effects of naringenin on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.

Aim: To prepare naringenin nanoliposome (NRG-Nanolipo) and investigate its inhibitory effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Materials & methods: NRG-Nanolipo was prepared by thin-film rehydration method. Its characterizations and effects on NAFLD in mice induced by methionine choline deficient diet were investigated. Results: NRG-Nanolipo had high-drug loading percentage and showed a sustained release profile. The nanoliposome formulation significantly increased oral absorption of naringenin (NRG). NRG-Nanolipo showed comparable inhibitory effects as NRG crude drug at a dose fourfold lower than the crude drug on NAFLD. Conclusion: It is the first study to report the inhibitory effects of NRG on NAFLD, and the NRG-Nanolipo significantly improved oral absorption of NRG, thus improved liver protective effects of NRG on NAFLD.

Production and anti-diabetic activity of soluble dietary fiber from apricot pulp by Trichoderma viride fermentation.

Soluble dietary fiber (SDF) was prepared by Trichoderma viride fermentation by using apricot pulp as the raw material. A four-factor and three-level response surface methodology was applied to optimize the fermentation conditions affecting the extraction rate of SDF. The optimum fermentation conditions were listed: crude enzyme volume, 9.59 mL g(-1); fermentation temperature, 43 °C; initial pH, 5.36; fermentation time, 6.47 h. Under these conditions, 15.69% yield was obtained and its relative error with the predicted theoretical value (15.87%) was 1.14%. The dietary fiber content of SDF was 84.0% whereas it was found to be 43.1% in apricot pulp flour. The anti-diabetic effect of apricot pulp SDF on rat models of diabetes was investigated. Both the blood glucose level and body weight were significantly changed in apricot pulp SDF-treated groups compared with the diabetic group (p < 0.01) after intragastric administration for 28 days. In addition, SDF elicited inhibitory effects on the α-glucosidase activity with an IC50 of 17.458 mg mL(-1). These results implied that apricot pulp SDF relieved the symptoms of diabetic rats.

Hepatoprotective effect of ulinastatin in a rat model of major hepatectomy after obstructive jaundice.

BACKGROUND: To date, major hepatectomy with obstructive jaundice is still a highly risky and difficult surgery because of the high rate of complications. An excessive inflammatory response may be the primary hindrance to postoperative recovery of liver function. AIMS: Recent research has demonstrated that ulinastatin blocks the release of inflammatory factors and prevents the cytokine cascade reaction. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of ulinastatin on major hepatectomy after obstructive jaundice and to explore the potential mechanisms of this effect. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham, control and treated groups. In the control and treated groups, obstructive jaundice was induced, and a 70 % major hepatectomy was performed with implementation of ulinastatin treatment in the treated group but not the control group. The rats were sacrificed after hepatectomy on day 1, day 3, day 5 and day 7. The survival time, liver function, inflammatory cytokine expression and the indices of proliferation activities were examined. Kupffer cells were isolated, and the mRNA and protein levels of CD14 and NF-κB P65 in the Kupffer cells were determined. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the survival rates, postoperative liver function, and the indices of proliferation activities were better in the treated group; in the treated group serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels were lower whereas serum IL-10 levels were higher. The expression of CD14 and NF-κB P65 in Kupffer cells at both the mRNA and protein levels was significantly higher in the control group than in the treated group. CONCLUSIONS: Ulinastatin has a protective effect in major hepatectomy with obstructive jaundice by inhibiting Kupffer cell activation and modulating the hepatic cytokine response.

[Study on genetic epidemiology on 815 patients with vitiligo in Zhejiang area].

OBJECTIVE: Genetic factors are thought to be involved in the development of vitiligo. The aim of this study is to explore the possible genetic model of vitiligo by analyzing the genetic characteristics of 815 patients from Zhejiang province. METHODS: Data for 815 patients with vitiligo together with their first- and second-degree relatives were obtained using a standardized questionnaire. All these information was requested to confirm the answers about family history in order to reduce the possibility of 'recall' bias. The 815 probands would include 411 (50.43%) males and 404 (49.57%) females with a varied age from 2 months to 71 years old. Since the information on general prevalence of vitiligo in this area was absent, a control group was set up to facilitate the calculations of heritability degree. 468 persons of the control group were from non-vitiligo population with a sex ratio of 241(male): 227(female) with varied age of 4 months to 80 years old. Both gender and age were comparable between the vitiligo and the control population. The inheritance pattern estimation, heritability calculation and complex segregation analysis were performed with Penrose method, Falconer regression method and SAGE-REGTL program. RESULTS: In 815 vitiligo probands, 128 had and 687 had not family histories, with a heritability rate of 15.7%. The vitiligo prevalence in proband's first degree relatives was 2.580%, higher than the prevalence of 0.618% in second degree relatives, and both of them were higher than general prevalence: 0.192%. By Penrose method, the rates on different catagories were as follows: sibling prevalence rates s = 0.080 18; population prevalence rate q = 0.001 92; s/q = 41.76. The ratio of s/q did not approach 1/2q (260.42) or 1/4q (130.21), but approached 1/square root of q(22.82), suggesting vitiligo was consistent with a mode of polygenic inheritance. Using Falconer's method, heritabilities of vitiligo in first-and second degree relatives of probands were 59.61% (95% confidence interval 65.37-53.84) and 55.20% (95% confidence interval 43.88-66.52), respectively. The weighted average of heritability in all relatives was 58.7% (95% confidence interval 53.56-63.83). The results of complex segregation analysis suggested that major gene model including the Mendelian dominant, recessive and additive hypotheses were not rejected (P > 0.05). Purely environmental model and no transmission model were rejected at a 0. 001 significance level. According to AIC, Mendelian dominant inheritance was the best-fitted hypothesis. CONCLUSION: Genetic factors played an important role in the occurrence of vitiligo, and the genetic model of vitiligo could serve as the polygenetic or multifactorial inheritance with major gene trait.