Genetic association between long non-coding RNA MIAT polymorphism and ischemic stroke susceptibility in the Chinese population.

OBJECTIVES: The genetic association of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) polymorphism with ischemic stroke (IS) susceptibility is not fully understood. To explore whether lncRNA MIAT rs1894720 polymorphism can predict the susceptibility of IS in the Chinese Han population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 200 IS cases and 200 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum MIAT levels were tested via qRT-PCR. Rs1894720 genotyping was accomplished through Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: MIAT rs1894720 genotypes were differentially distributed in IS and control groups. Rs1894720 TT genotype was considered to be a protective factor for IS risk in dominant model (GT + TT vs GG: OR = 0.630, 95 % CI = 0.412-0.962, P = 0.032). Further stratification results showed that individuals carrying the rs1894720 G allele in people older than 65 years, men, smokers, or those with hypertension had a higher risk of IS. MIAT rs1894720 GG genotype was positively related to the susceptibility to IS of LAA subtype compared with the healthy controls. GG genotype carriers had high serum MIAT levels compared to those with GT and TT genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: MIAT rs1894720 polymorphism was associated with the risk of IS in the Chinese Han population, especially for LAA subtype. Rs1894720 GG genotype carriers were at greater risk of developing IS.

The study of serum C-reactive protein, Serum cystatin C, and carbohydrate antigen 125 in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Stroke is the most common, deadly, and complicating neurological disease. Many studies have shown that the levels of some acute inflammatory reactants in people with ischemic stroke are higher than average. Therefore, in this study, three acute inflammatory reactants, i.e., C-reactive protein, Serum cystatin C, and carbohydrate antigen 125, were evaluated in patients with acute ischemic stroke to consider the association between these serums with intra and extra-cerebral vessels stenosis. In this cross-sectional study, 90 patients with non-embolic ischemic stroke were evaluated. The diagnosis was by physical examination, rejection of emboli, and brain imaging. Blood samples were taken in the first 24 hours of a stroke. ELISA test was used to measure CRP, Serum cystatin C, and CA125. Doppler ultrasound of cerebral arteries was also performed in the first five days. Independent chi-square and t-tests were used to analyze the data. The result of CRP level in patients with stenosis was 7.58±1.33µg/ml and in patients without stenosis was 4.10±1.75µg/ml (p = 0.004). Also, there was a significant relationship between serum CRP level and stenosis (p = 0.003). In patients with abnormal CRP, the internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, and anterior cerebral artery were the most involved. In patients with normal CRP, the most involved arteries were the anterior cerebral artery, internal carotid artery, and middle cerebral artery, respectively. There was a significant relationship between serum CRP level and the location of internal carotid artery stenosis (p = 0.015) and middle cerebral artery (p = 0.006). The amount of cystatin C between the normal CRP and abnormal CRP groups was statistically significant so that its concentration in the normal group was less than in the abnormal group (p = 0.04). The results of measuring the serum concentration of carbohydrate antigen 125 showed that the serum level in the normal group was statistically lower than in the abnormal group (P = 0.02). The results showed that stenosis of the internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery is more common in patients with ischemic stroke with high serum CRP levels. This finding suggests that abnormal CRP may be more associated with narrowing some cerebral arteries.

Solution-Processed Wide-Bandgap Organic Semiconductor Nanostructures Arrays for Nonvolatile Organic Field-Effect Transistor Memory.

In this paper, the development of organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memory device based on isolated and ordered nanostructures (NSs) arrays of wide-bandgap (WBG) small-molecule organic semiconductor material [2-(9-(4-(octyloxy)phenyl)-9H-fluoren-2-yl)thiophene]3 (WG3 ) is reported. The WG3 NSs are prepared from phase separation by spin-coating blend solutions of WG3 /trimethylolpropane (TMP), and then introduced as charge storage elements for nonvolatile OFET memory devices. Compared to the OFET memory device with smooth WG3 film, the device based on WG3 NSs arrays exhibits significant improvements in memory performance including larger memory window (≈45 V), faster switching speed (≈1 s), stable retention capability (>104 s), and reliable switching properties. A quantitative study of the WG3 NSs morphology reveals that enhanced memory performance is attributed to the improved charge trapping/charge-exciton annihilation efficiency induced by increased contact area between the WG3 NSs and pentacene layer. This versatile solution-processing approach to preparing WG3 NSs arrays as charge trapping sites allows for fabrication of high-performance nonvolatile OFET memory devices, which could be applicable to a wide range of WBG organic semiconductor materials.

High-Performance Nonvolatile Organic Field-Effect Transistor Memory Based on Organic Semiconductor Heterostructures of Pentacene/P13/Pentacene as Both Charge Transport and Trapping Layers.

Nonvolatile organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memory devices based on pentacene/N,N'-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (P13)/pentacene trilayer organic heterostructures have been proposed. The discontinuous n-type P13 embedded in p-type pentacene layers can not only provide electrons in the semiconductor layer that facilitates electron trapping process; it also works as charge trapping sites, which is attributed to the quantum well-like pentacene/P13/pentacene organic heterostructures. The synergistic effects of charge trapping in the discontinuous P13 and the charge-trapping property of the poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) layer remarkably improve the memory performance. In addition, the trilayer organic heterostructures have also been successfully applied to multilevel and flexible nonvolatile memory devices. The results provide a novel design strategy to achieve high-performance nonvolatile OFET memory devices and allow potential applications for different combinations of various organic semiconductor materials in OFET memory.

Synergistic Effects of Self-Doped Nanostructures as Charge Trapping Elements in Organic Field Effect Transistor Memory.

Despite remarkable advances in the development of organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memories over recent years, the charge trapping elements remain confined to the critical electrets of polymers, nanoparticles, or ferroelectrics. Nevertheless, rare reports are available on the complementary advantages of different types of trapping elements integrated in one single OFET memory. To address this issue, we fabricated two kinds of pentacene-based OFET memories with solution-processed amorphous and ß-phase poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) films as charge trapping layers, respectively. Compared to the amorphous film, the ß-PFO film has self-doped nanostructures (20-120 nm) and could act as natural charge trapping elements, demonstrating the synergistic effects of combining both merits of polymer and nanoparticles into one electret. Consequently, the OFET memory with ß-PFO showed nearly 26% increment in the storage capacity and a pronounced memory window of ∼45 V in 20 ms programming time. Besides, the retention time of ß-PFO device extended 2 times to maintain an ON/OFF current ratio of 10(3), indicating high bias-stress reliability. Furthermore, the ß-PFO device demonstrated good photosensitivity in the 430-700 nm range, which was attributed to the additive effect of smaller bandgap and self-doped nanostructures of ß-phase. In this regard, the tuning of molecular conformation and aggregation in a polymer electret is an effective strategy to obtain a high performance OFET memory.

Side-chain Engineering of Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene Core-structured Small Molecules for High-Performance Organic Solar Cells.

Three novel small molecules have been developed by side-chain engineering on benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) core. The typical acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) structure is adopted with 4,8-functionalized BDT moieties as core, dioctylterthiophene as π bridge and 3-ethylrhodanine as electron-withdrawing end group. Side-chain engineering on BDT core exhibits small but measurable effect on the optoelectronic properties of small molecules. Theoretical simulation and X-ray diffraction study reveal the subtle tuning of interchain distance between conjugated backbones has large effect on the charge transport and thus the photovoltaic performance of these molecules. Bulk-heterojunction solar cells fabricated with a configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/SM:PC71BM/PFN/Al exhibit a highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.99% after solvent vapor annealing.