Longitudinal registration of thoracic CT images with radiation-induced lung diseases: A divide-and-conquer approach based on component structure wise registration using coherent point drift.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Registration of pulmonary computed tomography (CT) images with radiation-induced lung diseases (RILD) was essential to investigate the voxel-wise relationship between the formation of RILD and the radiation dose received by different tissues. Although various approaches had been developed for the registration of lung CTs, their performances remained clinically unsatisfactory for registration of lung CT images with RILD. The main difficulties arose from the longitudinal change in lung parenchyma, including RILD and volumetric change of lung cancers, after radiation therapy, leading to inaccurate registration and artifacts caused by erroneous matching of the RILD tissues. METHODS: To overcome the influence of the parenchymal changes, a divide-and-conquer approach rooted in the coherent point drift (CPD) paradigm was proposed. The proposed method was based on two kernel ideas. One was the idea of component structure wise registration. Specifically, the proposed method relaxed the intrinsic assumption of equal isotropic covariances in CPD by decomposing a lung and its surrounding tissues into component structures and independently registering the component structures pairwise by CPD. The other was the idea of defining a vascular subtree centered at a matched branch point as a component structure. This idea could not only provide a sufficient number of matched feature points within a parenchyma, but avoid being corrupted by the false feature points resided in the RILD tissues due to globally and indiscriminately sampling using mathematical operators. The overall deformation model was built by using the Thin Plate Spline based on all matched points. RESULTS: This study recruited 30 pairs of lung CT images with RILD, 15 of which were used for internal validation (leave-one-out cross-validation) and the other 15 for external validation. The experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm achieved a mean and a mean of maximum 1 % of average surface distances <2 and 8 mm, respectively, and a mean and a maximum target registration error <2 mm and 5 mm on both internal and external validation datasets. The paired two-sample t-tests corroborated that the proposed algorithm outperformed a recent method, the Stavropoulou's method, on the external validation dataset (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed algorithm effectively reduced the influence of parenchymal changes, resulting in a reasonably accurate and artifact-free registration.

Individualized dosing parameters for tacrolimus in the presence of voriconazole: a real-world PopPK study.

Objectives: Significant increase in tacrolimus exposure was observed during co-administration with voriconazole, and no population pharmacokinetic model exists for tacrolimus in renal transplant recipients receiving voriconazole. To achieve target tacrolimus concentrations, an optimal dosage regimen is required. This study aims to develop individualized dosing parameters through population pharmacokinetic analysis and simulate tacrolimus concentrations under different dosage regimens. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of renal transplant recipients who were hospitalized at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between January 2016 and March 2021. Subsequently, pharmacokinetic analysis and Monte Carlo simulation were employed for further analysis. Results: Nineteen eligible patients receiving tacrolimus and voriconazole co-therapy were included in the study. We collected 167 blood samples and developed a one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination to describe the pharmacokinetic properties of tacrolimus. The final typical values for tacrolimus elimination rate constant (Ka), apparent volume of distribution (V/F), and apparent oral clearance (CL/F) were 8.39 h-1, 2690 L, and 42.87 L/h, respectively. Key covariates in the final model included voriconazole concentration and serum creatinine. Patients with higher voriconazole concentration had lower tacrolimus CL/F and V/F. In addition, higher serum creatinine levels were associated with lower tacrolimus CL/F. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that clinicians can predict tacrolimus concentration and estimate optimal tacrolimus dosage based on voriconazole concentration and serum creatinine. The effect of voriconazole concentration on tacrolimus concentration was more significant than serum creatinine. These findings may inform clinical decision-making in the management of tacrolimus and voriconazole therapy in solid organ transplant recipients.

Pure-Phase Perovskite Quantum Well for Green Light-Emitting Diodes.

Perovskite multiple quantum wells (MQWs) have shown great potential in the field of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the random formation of QWs with varying well widths (n numbers) often leads to suboptimal interface defects and charge transport issues. Here, we reveal that the crystallization sequence of bromide-based perovskite MQWs is large-n QWs preceding small-n QWs. With this insight, we prevent the crystallization of subsequent small-n QWs by reducing the crystallization rate, ultimately resulting in the crystallization of only n = 5 QWs. This reduction in the crystallization rate is achieved through the chemical interaction of dual additives with perovskite constituents. Additionally, the chemical interaction effectively passivates the uncoordinated lead ions defects. Consequently, pure-phase perovskite QWs with a high photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 75% are achieved. The resulting green LEDs achieve a peak external quantum efficiency of 17.1% and a maximum luminance of 29,480 cd m-2, which is attractive for full-color display applications of perovskites.

Fabrication and characterization of antibacterial nanofiber membranes modified with chitosan and imidazolidinyl urea for potential use in biological waste treatments.

An ion exchange nanofiber membrane (AEA-COOH) was developed from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers through chemical hydrolysis. It was further modified by grafting chitosan (CS) onto its surface, creating the AEA-COOH-CS membrane. Then, both membranes were covalently immobilized with imidazolidinyl urea (IU), resulting in AEA-COOH-IU and AEA-COOH-CS-IU membranes. This study analyzed their physical properties, antibacterial efficacy (AE), and reusability. Optimal conditions were identified: 50 kDa molecular weight of chitosan, pH 8 for IU modification, and 0.05 % IU concentration. The AEA-COOH-IU membrane achieved 96.15 % AE against Escherichia coli at an initial concentration of 2.0 × 107 CFU/mL, while the AEA-COOH-CS-IU membrane achieved 100 % AE. The AEA-COOH-CS-IU membrane maintained 95.04 % efficacy over 5 cycles, demonstrating superior durability. As a result, the AEA-COOH-CS-IU membrane has high potential for environmental applications such as water purification and wastewater treatment. Its robust antibacterial properties and reusability suggest a significant impact on ensuring cleaner water resources and prospective uses in the biomedical field, including medical device coatings and healthcare applications.

A Simple, Fast, and Reliable Method for the Identification of Candida albicans.

Background: Candida is one of the common pathogens in nosocomial infections. Culture is the gold standard for diagnosing candidemia. Candida albicans is identified via the germ tube test, which uses serum as the culture medium, which is costly and time-consuming. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare a relatively simple, fast, and reliable method for the detection of Candida albicans. Methods: We conducted this randomized case study at Taipei City Hospital (TCH) from January 2023 to August 2023, with a total of 30 specimen culture reports collected and confirmed to be cases of Candida albicans infection. A germ tube test was performed in a 37°C water bath using serum, plasma, and safe plasma products (Fresh Frozen Plasma, FFP). Further, the same procedures were repeated with the addition of 22% bovine serum albumin (BSA) to the identification/culture. Results: By adding BSA, more than 50% of the budding phenomenon was observed in 40 minutes, which shortened the diagnosis time compared with the traditional method (2-3 hours). Using BSA can shorten the identification time for early clinical medication and improve the quality of medical care. Conclusion: Using safer plasma products for germ tube test of candidiasis not only reduced the risk of infection for medical technicians but could also replace the serum used in traditional methods to increase convenience and save time. This study proposed BSA as a germ tube induction medium enhancer, which reduced the culture time, thereby enabling quicker diagnosis of C. albicans infections.

High Current Efficiency Red Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes Meeting Rec. 2020 Standard.

Cesium lead iodide light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are attractive for displays due to their Rec. 2020 red standard compliance. However, achieving high current efficiencies (CEs), which is important for displays, is challenging because their emission spectrum is near the tail of the photopic luminosity function. Substituting some iodine with bromine can improve CEs by enlarging the bandgap, but defects easily form in iodine-bromine mixed perovskites. Here, we successfully reduced defect formation by adding organic ammonium salts and zwitterions. The organic ammonium salts do not form low-dimensional perovskites under the hydrogen bonding interaction of zwitterions. Instead, they passivate the cesium vacancy by forming new hydrogen bonds after perovskite crystallization. This approach leads to a red perovskite LED with a high CE of 12.8 cd A-1 and a peak external quantum efficiency of 20.3%, meeting the Rec. 2020 standard. It can be extended to large-area devices (2500 mm2) without a significant efficiency loss.

Hydrogen sulfide coordinates glucose metabolism switch through destabilizing tetrameric pyruvate kinase M2.

Most cancer cells reprogram their glucose metabolic pathway from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis for energy production. By reducing enzyme activity of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), cancer cells attain a greater fraction of glycolytic metabolites for macromolecule synthesis needed for rapid proliferation. Here we demonstrate that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) destabilizes the PKM2 tetramer into monomer/dimer through sulfhydration at cysteines, notably at C326, leading to reduced PKM2 enzyme activity and increased PKM2-mediated transcriptional activation. Blocking PKM2 sulfhydration at C326 through amino acid mutation stabilizes the PKM2 tetramer and crystal structure further revealing the tetramer organization of PKM2-C326S. The PKM2-C326S mutant in cancer cells rewires glucose metabolism to mitochondrial respiration, significantly inhibiting tumor growth. In this work, we demonstrate that PKM2 sulfhydration by H2S inactivates PKM2 activity to promote tumorigenesis and inhibiting this process could be a potential therapeutic approach for targeting cancer metabolism.

From Sea to Science: Coral Aquaculture for Sustainable Anticancer Drug Development.

Marine natural products offer immense potential for drug development, but the limited supply of marine organisms poses a significant challenge. Establishing aquaculture presents a sustainable solution for this challenge by facilitating the mass production of active ingredients while reducing our reliance on wild populations and harm to local environments. To fully utilize aquaculture as a source of biologically active products, a cell-free system was established to target molecular components with protein-modulating activity, including topoisomerase II, HDAC, and tubulin polymerization, using extracts from aquaculture corals. Subsequent in vitro studies were performed, including MTT assays, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and Western blotting, along with in vivo xenograft models, to verify the efficacy of the active extracts and further elucidate their cytotoxic mechanisms. Regulatory proteins were clarified using NGS and gene modification techniques. Molecular docking and SwissADME assays were performed to evaluate the drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic and medicinal chemistry-related properties of the small molecules. The extract from Lobophytum crassum (LCE) demonstrated potent broad-spectrum activity, exhibiting significant inhibition of tubulin polymerization, and showed low IC50 values against prostate cancer cells. Flow cytometry and Western blotting assays revealed that LCE induced apoptosis, as evidenced by the increased expression of apoptotic protein-cleaved caspase-3 and the populations of early and late apoptotic cells. In the xenograft tumor experiments, LCE significantly suppressed tumor growth and reduced the tumor volume (PC3: 43.9%; Du145: 49.2%) and weight (PC3: 48.8%; Du145: 7.8%). Additionally, LCE inhibited prostate cancer cell migration, and invasion upregulated the epithelial marker E-cadherin and suppressed EMT-related proteins. Furthermore, LCE effectively attenuated TGF-ß-induced EMT in PC3 and Du145 cells. Bioactivity-guided fractionation and SwissADME validation confirmed that LCE's main component, 13-acetoxysarcocrassolide (13-AC), holds greater potential for the development of anticancer drugs.

A quick method to customize pictorial blood assessment tools towards better measurement: Method development and validation.

OBJECTIVE: Identification of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) cases in primary care settings is often done by using pictorial blood assessment charts (PBAC). The study aims to highlight the challenge of assessing blood loss, to develop a standardized method to efficiently customize a patient-reported pictorial chart, to validate the tool produced with our proposed method, and to demonstrate the feasibility of using PBACs in settings where resources are scarce. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using blood samples and feedback from 21 women aged 30-51 years, we followed guidelines suggested in the literature, developed a method to produce PBACs for regular, long and night sizes, and had 9 participants testuse them. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine the correlation between participants' scores and menstrual blood weight. RESULTS: The study demonstrated the feasibility of customizing product-sensitive and size-specific pictorial charts by adopting essential steps including collecting menstrual blood with menstrual cups, employing fluid application techniques, and using sanitary pads as icons for easy identification. Linear regression analyses of score versus blood weight showed that the recorded blood weight was around 95% of the scored values (R2 = 0.9428, 0.947, and 0.9508, respectively; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Valid patient-reported PBACs created by the proposed method provides an innovative women's healthcare solution to assist HMB identification and reduce health expenditure by preventing risks for HMB related complications in varying economic and technological contexts. Women's participation in tracking menstrual abnormalities may improve health literacy.

[Chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Cinnamomum camphora chvar. borneol essential oil: a review].

Cinnamomum camphora chvar. borneol, a rare camphor tree variant recently identified in China, is distinguished by its high concentration of D-borneol, also known as " plant gold" due to its significant value. The essential oil extracted from this variant,rich in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, demonstrates a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including analgesic, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, cognition-enhancing, anti-bacterial, and insecticidal effects. These properties, underscored by extensive research, highlight the oil's potential in the biomedical, chemical, and food sectors as a valuable commodity. Nonetheless, the safety profile of this valuable oil remains poorly characterized, with its chemical composition and therapeutic efficacy subject to variations in the factors like geographic origin, harvesting timing, part used for extraction, and processing techniques. Such variability poses challenges to its clinical application and hampers the efficient exploitation of this resource. This review synthesizes current studies on C. camphora chvar. borneol essential oil and provides a detailed examination of its chemical and pharmacological profiles. In this study, we discuss existing research gaps and propose strategies for advancing its clinical use and industrial application, aiming to provide a foundational reference for future investigations and the resolution of its commercial and therapeutic challenges.

Boric acid toxic sugar bait suppresses male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): wing beat frequency and amplitude, flight activity, fecundity, insemination, and mate-finding Allee effect.

BACKGROUND: Controlling the spread of arboviral diseases remains a considerable challenge due to the rapid development of insecticide resistance in Aedes mosquitoes. This study evaluated the effects of boric acid-containing toxic sugar bait (TSB) on field populations of resistant Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. In addition, this study examined the flight activity and wing beat frequency and amplitude of males and the flight activity, fecundity, and insemination of females after pairing with males exposed to TSB. The population dynamics of Aedes mosquitoes under imbalanced sex ratios were examined to simulate realistic field conditions for male suppression under the effect of TSB. RESULTS: The mortality of male mosquitoes was consistently high within 24 h after exposure. By contrast, the mortality of female mosquitoes was inconsistent, with over 70% mortality observed at 168 h. The flight activity and wing beat amplitude of treated males were significantly lower than those of controls, but no significant difference in wing beat frequency was detected. The fecundity and insemination of treated female mosquitoes were lower than those of controls. A simulation study indicated that considerably low male population densities led to mating failures, triggering a mate-finding Allee effect and resulting in persistently low population levels. CONCLUSION: Boric acid-containing TSB could effectively complement current chemical intervention approaches to control resistant mosquito populations. TSB is effective in reducing field male populations and impairing male flight activity and female-seeking behavior, resulting in decreased fecundity and insemination. Male suppression due to TSB potentially results in a small mosquito population. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Frontoparietal and salience network synchronizations during nonsymbolic magnitude processing predict brain age and mathematical performance in youth.

The development and refinement of functional brain circuits crucial to human cognition is a continuous process that spans from childhood to adulthood. Research increasingly focuses on mapping these evolving configurations, with the aim to identify markers for functional impairments and atypical development. Among human cognitive systems, nonsymbolic magnitude representations serve as a foundational building block for future success in mathematical learning and achievement for individuals. Using task-based frontoparietal (FPN) and salience network (SN) features during nonsymbolic magnitude processing alongside machine learning algorithms, we developed a framework to construct brain age prediction models for participants aged 7-30. Our study revealed differential developmental profiles in the synchronization within and between FPN and SN networks. Specifically, we observed a linear increase in FPN connectivity, concomitant with a decline in SN connectivity across the age span. A nonlinear U-shaped trajectory in the connectivity between the FPN and SN was discerned, revealing reduced FPN-SN synchronization among adolescents compared to both pediatric and adult cohorts. Leveraging the Gradient Boosting machine learning algorithm and nested fivefold stratified cross-validation with independent training datasets, we demonstrated that functional connectivity measures of the FPN and SN nodes predict chronological age, with a correlation coefficient of .727 and a mean absolute error of 2.944 between actual and predicted ages. Notably, connectivity within the FPN emerged as the most contributing feature for age prediction. Critically, a more matured brain age estimate is associated with better arithmetic performance. Our findings shed light on the intricate developmental changes occurring in the neural networks supporting magnitude representations. We emphasize brain age estimation as a potent tool for understanding cognitive development and its relationship to mathematical abilities across the critical developmental period of youth. PRACTITIONER POINTS: This study investigated the prolonged changes in the brain's architecture across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, with a focus on task-state frontoparietal and salience networks. Distinct developmental pathways were identified: frontoparietal synchronization strengthens consistently throughout development, while salience network connectivity diminishes with age. Furthermore, adolescents show a unique dip in connectivity between these networks. Leveraging advanced machine learning methods, we accurately predicted individuals' ages based on these brain circuits, with a more mature estimated brain age correlating with better math skills.

Spectrally Stable and Bright Red Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

Mixing iodide and bromide in three-dimensional metal-halide perovskites is a facile strategy for achieving red light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, these devices often face challenges such as instability in electroluminescence spectra and low brightness due to phase segregation in mixed-halide perovskites. Here, we demonstrate spectrally stable and bright red perovskite LEDs by substituting some of the halide ions with pseudohalogen thiocyanate ions (SCN-). We find that SCN- can occupy halogen vacancies, thereby releasing microstrain and passivating defects in the perovskite crystals. This leads to the suppression of mixed-halide phase segregation under electrical bias. As a result, the red perovskite LEDs exhibit a high brightness of >35 000 cd m-2 with stable Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.713, 0.282). This brightness surpasses that of the best-performing red perovskite LEDs, showing great promise for advancing perovskite LEDs in display and lighting applications.

The medical competence of health care providers in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from 16 127 providers across 11 countries.

Despite a consensus that quality of care is critically deficient in low-income countries, few nationally representative studies provide comparable measures of quality of care across countries. To address this gap, we used nationally representative data from in-person administrations of clinical vignettes to measure the competence of 16 127 health care providers across 11 sub-Saharan African countries. Rather than large variations across countries, we found that 81% of the variation in competence is within countries and the characteristics of health care providers do not explain most of this variation. Professional qualifications-including cadre and education-are only weakly associated with competence: across our sample, one-third of nurses are more competent than the average doctor in the same country and one-quarter of doctors are less competent than the average nurse. Finally, while younger cohorts do tend to be more competent, perhaps reflecting improvements in medical education, it would take 25 decades of turnover to improve care by 10 percentage points, on average, if we were to rely on such improvements alone. These patterns necessitate a fundamentally different approach to health care human resource management, calling into question typical staffing policies based on qualifications and seniority rather than directly measured quality.

Modification of Risk for All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease-Related Mortality with Changes in the Body Mass Index in Older Individuals: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Existing evidence evaluating the impact of change in body mass index (BMI) on the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality in older people is limited and inconsistent. This population-based cohort study evaluated the association of changes in BMI over time with all-cause and CVD-related mortality in older adults. METHODS: We recruited 55,351 adults aged over 65 years between 2006 and 2011 from Taipei Elderly Health Examination Program who underwent repeated annual health examinations at 3.2-year intervals and were followed up for mortality over 5.5 years. Cox proportional hazard and Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazard models with death from non-CVD causes as the competing risk were used to determine the impact of changes in BMI status on the risk of all-cause or CVD-related mortality, respectively. RESULTS: Over 227,967 person-years of follow-up, 4,054 participants died, including 940 (23.2%) CVD-related deaths. After adjusting for other covariates, >10% decrease in BMI was significantly associated with a higher risk of all-cause (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.74-2.13) and CVD-related mortality (AHR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.60-2.40), compared with stable BMI. Sensitivity analysis showed that a >10% decrease in BMI was significantly associated with a high risk of all-cause and CVD-related mortality in participants with normal weight, underweight, overweight, or obesity at baseline. CONCLUSION: Older adults with >10% decrease in BMI are at high risk of all-cause and CVD-related mortality. Our findings suggest that older individuals experiencing a substantial reduction in BMI should undergo a thorough evaluation to minimize the risks associated with mortality.

Factors affecting the effectiveness and safety of polymyxin B in the treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections: A meta-analysis of 96 articles.

PURPOSE: Polymyxin B, with its unique structure and mechanism of action, has emerged as a key therapeutic agent against Gram-negative bacteria. The study aims to explore potential factors to influence its effectiveness and safety. METHODS: A model-based meta-analysis of 96 articles was conducted, focusing on factors like dosage, bacterial species, and combined antibiotic therapy. The analysis evaluated mortality rates and incidence rate of renal dysfunction, also employing parametric survival models to assess 30-d survival rates. RESULTS: In the study involving 96 articles and 9716 patients, polymyxin B's daily dose showed minimal effect on overall mortality, with high-dose group mortality at 33.57% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 29.15-38.00) compared to the low-dose group at 35.44% (95% CI: 28.99-41.88), P = 0.64. Mortality significantly varied by bacterial species, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections at 58.50% (95% CI: 55.42-63.58). Monotherapy exhibited the highest mortality at 40.25% (95% CI: 34.75-45.76), P < 0.01. Renal dysfunction was more common in high-dose patients at 29.75% (95% CI: 28.52-30.98), with no significant difference across antibiotic regimens, P = 0.54. The 30-d overall survival rate for monotherapy therapy was 63.6% (95% CI: 59.3-67.5) and 70.2% (95% CI: 64.4-76.2) for association therapy with ß-lactam drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The dosage of polymyxin B does not significantly change death rates, but its effectiveness varies based on the bacterial infection. Certain bacteria like P. aeruginosa are associated with higher mortality. Combining polymyxin B with other antibiotics, especially ß-lactam drugs, improves survival rates. Side effects depend on the dose, with lower doses being safer. These findings emphasize the importance of customizing treatment to balance effectiveness and safety.

Robotic versus laparoscopic pelvic lateral lymph node dissection in locally advanced rectal cancer: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are few available studies that compare the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of robotic pelvic lateral lymph node dissection compared to laparoscopic pelvic lateral lymph node dissection (LPLND) in advanced rectal cancer. This meta-analysis aims to compare perioperative outcomes between robotic and LPLND. METHODS: We performed a systemic literature review of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Perioperative parameters were extracted and pooled for analysis. This meta-analysis provided an analysis of heterogeneity and prediction intervals. RESULTS: Five studies were included: 567 patients divided between 266 robotic and 301 LPLND. Overall operation time was longer in the robotic group than laparoscopic group (difference in means = 67.11, 95% CI [30.80, 103.42], p < 0.001) but the difference in the pelvic lateral lymph dissection time was not statistically significant (difference in means = - 1.212, 95% CI [ - 11.594, 9.171], p = 0.819). There were fewer overall complications in the robotic than in the laparoscopic group (OR = 1.589, 95% CI [1.009, 2.503], p = 0.046), especially with respect to urinary retention (OR = 2.23, 95% CI [1.277, 3.894], p = 0.005). More pelvic lateral lymph nodes were harvested by robotic surgery than by laparoscopy (differences in means = - 1.992, 95% CI [ - 2.421, 1.563], p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis, robotic pelvic lateral lymph node dissection was associated with more pelvic lateral lymph nodes harvested and lower overall complications, especially urinary retention when compared to LPLND. Further studies are needed to reinforce these findings.

Elevating Charge Transport Layer for Stable Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

Ion migration is a major factor affecting the long term stability of perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which limits their commercialization potential. The accumulation of excess halide ions at the grain boundaries of perovskite films is a primary cause of ion migration in these devices. Here, it is demonstrated that the channels of ion migrations can be effectively impeded by elevating the hole transport layer between the perovskite grain boundaries, resulting in highly stable perovskite LEDs. The unique structure is achieved by reducing the wettability of the perovskites, which prevents infiltration of the upper hole-transporting layer into the spaces of perovskite grain boundaries. Consequently, nanosized gaps are formed between the excess halide ions and the hole transport layer, effectively suppressing ion migration. With this structure, perovskite LEDs with operational half-lifetimes of 256 and 1774 h under current densities of 100 and 20 mA cm-2 respectively are achieved. These lifetimes surpass those of organic LEDs at high brightness. It is further found that this approach can be extended to various perovskite LEDs, showing great promise for promoting perovskite LEDs toward commercial applications.

Factors associated with willingness to receive coronavirus disease vaccination during the pandemic: A nationwide survey in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Vaccination is the most important preventive measure to protect people from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Governments worldwide have prioritized their vaccination policy against COVID-19. However, there is a lack of relevant research on Taiwanese attitudes and considerations toward COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to investigate the cognition, preventive behaviors, and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines that influence people's willingness to get vaccinated in Taiwan. METHODS: From October 1 to 31, 2021, a computer-assisted telephone interview system was used to randomly select Taiwanese people to investigate their COVID-19 preventive behaviors, knowledge, and willingness to be vaccinated. RESULTS: We included 2000 participants of whom 96.45% showed vaccination willingness. The overall mean age and knowledge scores were 48.6 years and 5.78, respectively. All of the participants chose to wear masks, and 80% chose to be vaccinated to prevent COVID-19. Compared with the non-willing vaccination participants, those with younger ages, higher incomes, and higher knowledge scores regarding masks and vaccination were more likely to be vaccinated. Furthermore, apprehensions about vaccine side effects and negative news about COVID-19 vaccines were the major reasons for vaccination hesitancy. CONCLUSION: To improve people's willingness to get vaccinated, the government should strive to deliver correct knowledge and refute inappropriate negative information about COVID-19 vaccination. Moreover, recommendation by physicians was an important factor for older individuals to decide on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and policies could be implemented from this aspect.

DDX21 mediates co-transcriptional RNA m6A modification to promote transcription termination and genome stability.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a crucial RNA modification that regulates diverse biological processes in human cells, but its co-transcriptional deposition and functions remain poorly understood. Here, we identified the RNA helicase DDX21 with a previously unrecognized role in directing m6A modification on nascent RNA for co-transcriptional regulation. DDX21 interacts with METTL3 for co-recruitment to chromatin through its recognition of R-loops, which can be formed co-transcriptionally as nascent transcripts hybridize onto the template DNA strand. Moreover, DDX21's helicase activity is needed for METTL3-mediated m6A deposition onto nascent RNA following recruitment. At transcription termination regions, this nexus of actions promotes XRN2-mediated termination of RNAPII transcription. Disruption of any of these steps, including the loss of DDX21, METTL3, or their enzymatic activities, leads to defective termination that can induce DNA damage. Therefore, we propose that the R-loop-DDX21-METTL3 nexus forges the missing link for co-transcriptional modification of m6A, coordinating transcription termination and genome stability.