Enhancing optical characteristics of mediator-assisted wafer-scale MoS2and WS2on h-BN.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials and their heterostructures exhibit intriguing optoelectronic properties; thus, they are good platforms for exploring fundamental research and further facilitating real device applications. The key is to preserve the high quality and intrinsic properties of 2D materials and their heterojunction interface even in production scale during the transfer and assembly process so as to apply in semiconductor manufacturing field. In this study, we successfully adopted a wet transfer existing method to separate mediator-assisted wafer-scale from SiO2/Si growing wafer for the first time with intermediate annealing to fabricate wafer-scale MoS2/h-BN and WS2/h-BN heterostructures on a SiO2/Si wafer. Interestingly, the high-quality wafer-scale 2D material heterostructure optical properties were enhanced and confirmed by Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Our approach can be applied to other 2D materials and expedite mass production for industrial applications.

First Results from the Taiwan Axion Search Experiment with a Haloscope at 19.6 µeV.

This Letter reports on the first results from the Taiwan Axion Search Experiment with a Haloscope, a search for axions using a microwave cavity at frequencies between 4.707 50 and 4.798 15 GHz. Apart from the nonaxion signals, no candidates with a significance of more than 3.355 were found. The experiment excludes models with the axion-two-photon coupling |g_{aγγ}|≳8.1×10^{-14} GeV^{-1}, a factor of eleven above the benchmark Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov model, in the mass range 19.4687

Subcutaneous anterior pelvic bridge - an innovative technique for fixation of selective acetabular fracture: a case series and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to introduce an innovative technique involving the use of a subcutaneous anterior pelvic bridge (SAPB) in the treatment of selective acetabular fractures. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 21 patients with acetabular fracture who were treated with SAPB between January 2016 and March 2021. The patients' data were retrieved from electronic charts. Radiological results were evaluated according to the Matta system to assess the quality of the reduction and time of union. Functional outcomes were assessed in line with the d'Aubigné and Postel scoring system. Post-operative complications were also recorded. RESULTS: SAPB required around 60 minutes, with minimal blood loss and short learning curve. Matta score revealed excellent radiological outcomes in seventeen displaced fractures with seven excellent outcomes and nine good outcomes. Functional outcomes were excellent in twelve hips, good in seven hips, and fair in two hips. Six patients had transient lateral femoral cutaneous nerve palsy. DISCUSSION: The innovative SAPB method for the treatment of selective acetabular fracture is proven to be a feasible method with promising outcomes. SAPB is a minimally invasive technique and strengthens the stability of fixation, with less blood loss and fewer intra-operative/post-operative complications.

Risk of Spine Surgery in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Secondary Cohort Analysis of a Nationwide, Population-Based Health Claim Database.

Background and Objectives: To study the risk of spine surgery, including cervical and lumbar spine surgeries in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with those without a diagnosis of RA. Materials and Methods: This is a secondary data analysis using population-based health claim data. We identified newly diagnosed adult patients with RA between January 2000 and December 2012, according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth revision, clinical modification code 714.0 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Using data frequency-matched by 10-year age intervals, sex and index year with the RA cohort at a ratio of 5:1, we assembled a comparison cohort. All patients were followed until the study outcomes occurred (overall spine surgery, cervical spine surgery, or lumbar spine surgery) or the end of follow-up. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) were calculated using Poisson regression analysis with age group, socioeconomic status, geographical region, and osteoporosis included as potential confounders. Results: We identified 1287 patients with RA and 6435 patients without RA. The incidence of overall spine surgery (aIRR = 2.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.49-3.04) and lumbar spine surgery (aIRR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.46-3.15) were all significantly higher in the RA cohort. Moreover, females over 45 years of age were particularly at risk for lumbar spine surgery. In RA patients, older age and the combination with the diagnosis of osteoporosis had an elevated risk for overall and lumbar spine surgery. Conclusion: Patients with RA had an increased risk of receiving spine surgery. Physicians should be vigilant for possible spinal problems in women and older patients with RA.

Sex-moderated interactions between IL4/IL13 pathway genes and prenatal environment on cord blood IgE levels.

BACKGROUND: Elevated cord blood IgE (cIgE), a predictor of atopic diseases, is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. However, gene-environment interactions on cIgE elevation and their difference by sex remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether there are sex-moderated interactions between genetic variants in the IL4/IL13 pathway and prenatal environments on cIgE elevation. METHODS: Comprehensive information on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), home dampness (indexed by combining mildewy odour, visible mould and water stamp on the wall) and other household environments was obtained using a structured questionnaire during the third trimester of pregnancy in 1107 full-term newborns. The cord blood was collected for measuring cIgE levels, with elevation defined as ≥0.5 IU/mL, and for genotyping of five single nucleotide polymorphisms of three candidate genes (IL-13 rs1800925, rs20541, rs848, IL-4 rs2243250 and STAT6 rs324011). RESULTS: Gene-environment interactions on cIgE elevation were observed in male but not female newborns, including those between ETS and IL13 rs20541, between home dampness and STAT6 rs324011, and between composite environmental exposure (combined ETS and the three home dampness indices) and STAT6 rs324011 (P for interaction = 0.03, 0.006, and 0.001, respectively). Male newborns carrying STAT6 rs324011 CT or TT genotype manifested with a significant dose-response association of the composite environmental exposure with cIgE elevation. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Sex moderates the gene-environment interactions involving IL4/IL13 pathway genes and prenatal household environments on cIgE elevation. The absence of prenatal exposure to ETS and home dampness in male neonates carrying the STAT6 rs324011 CT or TT genotype is least likely associated with cIgE elevation.

Optical amplification assisted by two-photon processes in a 3-level transmon artificial atom.

We experimentally study interactions between two microwave fields mediated by 3-level transmon artificial atom with two-photon processes. The transmon has good selection rule, preventing one-photon transition, but allowing two-photon transition from ground state(0) to 2nd excited state(2). By pumping a control tone in resonance to the transition between 1st(1) and 2nd excited state(2), we control the one-photon transparency for 0 to 1 transition and two-photon transparency for 0 to 2 transition. The results are explained by the Autler-Townes splitting induced by the control microwave. In addition, two possible microwave amplification processes involving two-photon processes are also studied. The 4-wave mixing scheme increases the transmission by 3% while 2-photon optical pumping produces a 11% narrowband increment. All these phenomena can be operated with control and probe tones in a narrow band.

Efficient and Adhesiveless Metallization of Flexible Polyimide by Functional Grafting of Carboxylic Acid Groups.

Surface metallization of polyimide (PI) is the key process for the preparation of flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs). To meet the miniaturization demand, the ultrathinness of FPCB by the removal of the intermediate adhesive layer is imperative. The common adhesiveless process relies on the surface activation of hydrophobic PI through alkaline hydrolysis to generate the hydrophilic carboxylate anion sites for the metallic deposition. However, the alkaline hydrolysis process involves the imide ring cleavage caused by the attack of a strong nucleophile (OH-), resulting in mechanical destruction and surface coarseness of PI. In this study, a new PI is synthesized with the grafting of carboxylic acid groups as the active sites to intrinsically activate PI for efficient metallization. The surface activation is accomplished through an acid-base neutralization reaction in a dilute alkaline environment, which can suppress the alkaline hydrolysis reaction. The attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirms a significant reduction of the extent of the imide ring cleavage in the carboxylic acid-grafted PI films. According to the microstructural examination using transmission electron microscopy, the deposited metal film adheres firmly to the carboxylic acid-grafted PI films through an interlocking effect of a broccoli bud-shaped nanocluster layer.

Risk of joint replacement surgery in Taiwanese female adults with systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are prone to have musculoskeletal system involvement, which could lead to joint damage. However, few studies have assessed the incidence of arthroplasty in female patients with SLE. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of total hip replacement surgery and total knee replacement surgery in patients with SLE. METHODS: We identified 577 female patients with newly diagnosed SLE between 2000 and 2012 using the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A comparison cohort was constructed with female patients without SLE in a ratio of 5:1, based on frequency matching for 10-year age interval, and index year, for each patient with SLE. Both cohorts were followed until a diagnosis of the study outcomes or the end of the follow-up period. RESULTS: Female patients with SLE showed a significantly higher incidence of receiving total hip replacement surgery (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 6.47; P < 0.001), but not total knee replacement surgery (aIRR 1.81; P = 0.227). Moreover, age-group stratified analyses indicated a high incidence for receiving total hip replacement surgery among young female patients with SLE (aIRR 7.70; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Young female patients with SLE had a high risk of receiving total hip replacement surgery, but not total knee replacement surgery.

Delineation of G-Quadruplex Alkylation Sites Mediated by 3,6-Bis(1-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium iodide)carbazole-Aniline Mustard Conjugates.

A new G-quadruplex (G-4)-directing alkylating agent BMVC-C3M was designed and synthesized to integrate 3,6-bis(1-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium iodide)carbazole (BMVC) with aniline mustard. Various telomeric G-4 structures (hybrid-2 type and antiparallel) and an oncogene promoter, c-MYC (parallel), were constructed to react with BMVC-C3M, yielding 35 % alkylation yield toward G-4 DNA over other DNA categories (<6 %) and high specificity under competition conditions. Analysis of the intact alkylation adducts by electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) revealed the stepwise DNA alkylation mechanism of aniline mustard for the first time. Furthermore, the monoalkylation sites and intrastrand cross-linking sites were determined and found to be dependent on G-4 topology based on the results of footprinting analysis in combination with mass spectroscopic techniques and in silico modeling. The results indicated that BMVC-C3M preferentially alkylated at A15 (H26), G12 (H24), and G2 (c-MYC), respectively, as monoalkylated adducts and formed A15-C3M-A21 (H26), G12-C3M-G4 (H24), and G2-C3M-G4/G17 (c-MYC), respectively, as cross-linked dialkylated adducts. Collectively, the stability and site-selective cross-linking capacity of BMVC-C3M provides a credible tool for the structural and functional characterization of G-4 DNAs in biological systems.

Pregnenolone activates CLIP-170 to promote microtubule growth and cell migration.

Pregnenolone (P5) is a neurosteroid that improves memory and neurological recovery. It is also required for zebrafish embryonic development. However, its mode of action is unclear. Here we show that P5 promotes cell migration and microtubule polymerization by binding a microtubule plus end-tracking protein, cytoplasmic linker protein 1 (CLIP-170). We captured CLIP-170 from zebrafish embryonic extract using a P5 photoaffinity probe conjugated to diaminobenzophenone. P5 interacted with CLIP-170 at its coiled-coil domain and changed it into an extended conformation. This increased CLIP-170 interaction with microtubules, dynactin subunit p150(Glued) and LIS1; it also promoted CLIP-170-dependent microtubule polymerization. CLIP-170 was essential for P5 to promote microtubule abundance and zebrafish epiboly cell migration during embryogenesis, and overexpression of the P5-binding region of CLIP-170 delayed this migration. P5 also sustained migration directionality of cultured mammalian cells. Our results show that P5 activates CLIP-170 to promote microtubule polymerization and cell migration.

Ambulatory medical services utilization for menstrual disorders among female personnel of different medical professions in Taiwan: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Menstrual disorders and their adverse symptoms can have a deleterious effect on both the private and working lives of women. Previous studies indicated that female nurses have elevated risk of menstrual disorders. Moreover, female nurses showed a higher incidence of ambulatory care visit for genitourinary diseases compared with other female medical personnel. However, little is known whether the medical services utilization for menstrual disorders were different among personnel from various medical professions. Therefore, the present study compared the ambulatory medical services utilization for menstrual disorders among personnel of six different medical professions in Taiwan using a nationwide, population-based health claim research database. METHODS: The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) was used to identify female medical professionals, aged 18 to 45 years, who obtained their licenses during January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2012. Personnel from six different medical professions were examined and they included (1) medical technologists and therapists, (2) registered nurses, (3) physicians, (4) doctors of Chinese medicine, (5) dentists, and (6) pharmacists. Diagnoses of menstrual disorders, based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes, were obtained from the ambulatory medical services utilization that occurred after their license date. Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the hazards of medical services utilization for menstrual disorders using medical technologists and therapists as the reference category. RESULTS: A total of 7653 medical personnel were included in the analysis. Using the group containing medical technologists and therapists as the reference category, registered nurses (adjusted hazards ratio [AHR] = 1.13, p = 0.018) and doctors of Chinese medicine (AHR = 2.52, p < 0.001) showed a significant increased risk of medical services utilization for menstrual disorders. Conversely, physicians showed a significant decreased risk of medical services utilization for menstrual disorders (AHR = 0.58, p < 0.001). Regarding the nine specific menstrual disorders observed in this study, registered nurses and doctors of Chinese medicine showed an increased risk in six and four of them, respectively. Pharmacists showed an increased risk only in menorrhagia (AHR = 1.64, p = 0.020) and dentists showed no significant differences in any of the nine specific menstrual disorders compared with medical technologists and therapists. Physicians showed a significant decreased risk all specific menstrual disorders except menorrhagia and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this population-based cohort study revealed that, compared with medical technologists and therapists, registered nurses and doctors of Chinese medicine exhibited significant increased risks in medical services utilization for menstrual disorders whereas physicians showed a significant decreased risk in menstrual disorders. Further studies should be conducted to delineate whether the differences in the medical services utilization is an indicator of risk of menstrual disorders or the results of varying patterns of health care seeking behavior among women of different medical professions.

Association of time-location patterns with urinary cotinine among asthmatic children under household environmental tobacco smoke exposure.

INTRODUCTION: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a hazardous component of indoor air, and may increase the risk of respiratory diseases, atherosclerosis and otitis media in children. In this study, we explored the relationship between time inside the house, ETS exposure and urinary cotinine level, and also determined the association of time inside the house on asthma phenotypes when children exposed to ETS. METHODS: A total of 222 asthmatic children and 205 non-asthmatic controls were recruited in the Genetic and Biomarker study for Childhood Asthma (GBCA). Structured questionnaires and time-location pattern questionnaires were administered by face-to-face interview. Urinary cotinine was measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The level of household ETS exposure was assessed using the cotinine/creatinine ratio (CCR). RESULTS: In general, urinary cotinine and CCR were higher in subjects exposed to household ETS than those who never had ETS at home. A significant positive relationship was found between average time inside the house and urinary CCR in asthmatic children with current ETS at home (ß=0.278, p=0.02). After adjustment for age and gender, average time inside the house was positively related to severe wheeze in asthmatic children with household ETS within 1 month (OR: 1.26, 95%: 1.02-1.64). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the major source of ETS exposure for children is due to longer period of exposures among children living with adult smokers at home. Home-smoking restrictions that effectively prevent children from being exposed to ETS would be worthwhile.

Neutrophil extracellular trap production and CCL4L2 expression influence corticosteroid response in asthma.

The association between neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in asthma is unclear. To better understand this relationship, we analyzed the blood transcriptomes from children with controlled and uncontrolled asthma in the Taiwanese Consortium of Childhood Asthma Study using weighted gene coexpression network analysis and pathway enrichment methods. We identified 298 uncontrolled asthma-specific differentially expressed genes and one gene module associated with neutrophil-mediated immunity, highlighting a potential role for neutrophils in uncontrolled asthma. We also found that NET abundance was associated with nonresponse to ICS in patients. In a neutrophilic airway inflammation murine model, steroid treatment could not suppress neutrophilic inflammation and airway hyperreactivity. However, NET disruption with deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) efficiently inhibited airway hyperreactivity and inflammation. Using neutrophil-specific transcriptomic profiles, we found that CCL4L2 was associated with ICS nonresponse in asthma, which was validated in human and murine lung tissue. CCL4L2 expression was also negatively correlated with pulmonary function change after ICS treatment. In summary, steroids fail to suppress neutrophilic airway inflammation, highlighting the potential need to use alternative therapies such as leukotriene receptor antagonists or DNase I that target the neutrophil-associated phenotype. Furthermore, these results highlight CCL4L2 as a potential therapeutic target for individuals with asthma refractory to ICS.

Environmental tobacco smoke and male sex modify the influence of IL-13 genetic variants on cord blood IgE levels.

Elevated cord blood IgE (cIgE) levels enhance the risk of childhood atopic diseases. However, genetic determinants of cIgE elevation and their potential modifiers remain inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the associations of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL-13 gene (IL-13) with cIgE elevation and their interactions with prenatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and neonatal sex. A structured questionnaire regarding prenatal environmental exposures was completed during pregnancy. Birth information was extracted from the medical records. Cord blood from 794 term neonates was genotyped for three SNPs (rs1800925, rs20541, and rs848) of IL-13 and measured for cIgE levels. SNP rs20541 and a 3-SNP haplotype containing rs1800925, rs20541, and rs848 (denoted as h011) were significantly associated with cIgE elevation (p = 0.04 and 0.003, respectively). Two-way interaction analysis revealed that the associations of IL-13 rs20541 and h011 with cIgE elevation were synergistically enhanced by prenatal ETS (p for interaction = 0.03 and 0.03, respectively), but not by male sex. If the association analyses were stratified by prenatal ETS and neonatal sex simultaneously, IL-13 rs20541 and h011 had the highest risks for cIgE elevation in male babies prenatally exposed to ETS, with adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) being 3.03 (1.56-5.88) and 2.81 (1.54-5.15), respectively. When three-way interactions were examined, both IL-13 rs20541 and h011 exhibited significant interactions with male sex and ETS (p for interaction = 0.03 and 0.007, respectively). In conclusion, the influence of IL-13 genetic variants on cIgE elevation was modified by male sex and prenatal ETS.

Circuit quantum electrodynamics with dressed states of a superconducting artificial atom.

A dynamical control of the coupling strengths between dressed states and probe photon states is demonstrated with a transmon-like artificial atom coupled to two closely spaced resonant modes. When the atom is driven with one mode, the atom state and driving photon states form the so-called dressed states. Dressed states with sideband index up to 3 were prepared and probed via the strong coupling to the other resonant mode. Spectroscopy reveals that the coupling strengths are "dressed" and can be modulated by the power and sideband index of the driving. The transmission of the probe tone is modulated by the driving microwave amplitude with a Bessel behavior, displaying multi-photon process associated with the inter-atomic level transitions.

Prenatal antioxidant-enriched and pro-oxidant-contained food, IL4 and IL13 pathway genes, and cord blood IgE.

Prenatal oxidative balance might influence cord blood IgE (cIgE) levels. We aimed to explore if certain prenatal dietary sources of antioxidants and pro-oxidants are associated with cIgE elevation and if they interact with IL4 and IL13 pathway genes. A structured questionnaire was completed during the third trimester of pregnancy for 1107 full-term newborns. Surveyed antioxidant-enriched food included fish, shellfish, and fruit, whereas surveyed pro-oxidant-contained food included fried fish sticks and canned fish. Cord blood was collected for measuring cIgE levels and genotyping IL13 rs1800925, rs20541, rs848, IL4 rs2243250, and STAT6 rs324011. Fairly lean fish consumption showed protection against cIgE elevation (odds ratio [OR] 0.66; 95% CI 0.49-0.90) in the whole sample, while daily fruit (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.27-0.79) and ≥ monthly canned fish (OR 2.81; 95% CI 1.24-6.36) exhibited associations only in genetically susceptible babies. A prenatal food protective index, comprising any fairly lean fish, daily fruit, and the absence of any canned fish, exerted dose-response protection against cIgE elevation in babies carrying the IL13 rs20541 GA or AA genotype (P for trend < 0.0001; P for interaction = 0.004). We concluded that prenatal antioxidant-enriched and pro-oxidant-contained food consumption may influence cIgE, especially in genetically susceptible babies.

Taiwan axion search experiment with haloscope: Designs and operations.

We report on a holoscope axion search experiment near 19.6 µeV from the Taiwan Axion Search Experiment with Haloscope collaboration. This experiment is carried out via a frequency-tunable cavity detector with a volume V = 0.234 liter in a magnetic field B0 = 8 T. With a signal receiver that has a system noise temperature Tsys ≅ 2.2 K and an experiment time of about one month, the search excludes values of the axion-photon coupling constant gaγγ ≳ 8.1 × 10-14 GeV-1, a factor of 11 above the Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov benchmark model, at the 95% confidence level in the mass range of 19.4687-19.8436 µeV. We present the experimental setup and procedures to accomplish this search.

Consecutive daily administration of intratracheal surfactant and human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells attenuates hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal rats.

BACKGROUND: Surfactant therapy is a standard of care for preterm infants with respiratory distress and reduces the incidence of death and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in these patients. Our previous study found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) attenuated hyperoxia-induced lung injury and the combination therapy of surfactant and human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs) did not have additive effects on hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal rats. The aim is to evaluate the effects of 2 consecutive days of intratracheal administration of surfactant and hUC-MSCs on hyperoxia-induced lung injury. METHODS: Neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were reared in either room air (RA) or hyperoxia (85% O2) from postnatal days 1 to 14. On postnatal day 4, the rats received intratracheal injections of either 20 µL of normal saline (NS) or 20 µL of surfactant. On postnatal day 5, the rats reared in RA received intratracheal NS, and the rats reared in O2 received intratracheal NS or hUC-MSCs (3 × 104 or 3 × 105 cells). Six study groups were examined: RA + NS + NS, RA + surfactant + NS, O2 + NS + NS, O2 + surfactant + NS, O2 + surfactant + hUC-MSCs (3 × 104 cells), and O2 + surfactant + hUC-MSCs (3 × 105 cells). The lungs were excised for histological, western blot, and cytokine analyses. RESULTS: The rats reared in hyperoxia and treated with NS yielded significantly higher mean linear intercepts (MLIs) and interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 levels and significantly lower vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), platelet-derived growth factor protein expression, and vascular density than did those reared in RA and treated with NS or surfactant. The lowered MLIs and cytokines and the increased VEGF expression and vascular density indicated that the surfactant and surfactant + hUC-MSCs (3 × 104 cells) treatment attenuated hyperoxia-induced lung injury. The surfactant + hUC-MSCs (3 × 105 cells) group exhibited a significantly lower MLI and significantly higher VEGF expression and vascular density than the surfactant + hUC-MSCs (3 × 104 cells) group did. CONCLUSIONS: Consecutive daily administration of intratracheal surfactant and hUC-MSCs can be an effective regimen for treating hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonates.