Diseleno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]selenophene-containing high-mobility conjugated polymer for organic field-effect transistors

KGaA, Weinheim The synthesis of a diseleno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]selenophene (DSS) composed of three fused selenophenes is reported and it is used as a building block for the preparation of a high hole mobility conjugated polymer (PDSSTV). The polymer demonstrates strong intermolecular interactions even in solution, despite steric repulsion between the large Se atom in DSS and adjacent (C β )–H atoms which leads to a partially twisted confirmation PDSSTV. Nevertheless, 2D grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (2D-GIXD) analysis reveals that the polymer tends to align in a highly ordered edge-on orientation after thermal annealing. The polymer demonstrates promising performance in a field-effect transistor device with saturated hole mobility up to 2 cm 2 V −1 s −1 obtained under relatively low gate voltages of −30 V. The ultilization of a Se-containing fused aromatic system, therefore, appears to be a promising avenue for the development of high-performance conjugated polymers

Synthesis of Tapered CdS Nanobelts and CdSe Nanowires with Good Optical Property by Hydrogen-Assisted Thermal Evaporation

The tapered CdS nanobelts and CdSe nanowires were prepared by hydrogen-assisted thermal evaporation method. Different supersaturation leads to two different kinds of 1D nanostructures. The PL measurements recorded from the as-prepared tapered CdS nanobelts and CdSe nanowires show only a bandgap emission with relatively narrow full-width half maximum, which means that they possess good optical property. The as-synthesized high-quality tapered CdS nanobelts and CdSe nanowires may be excellent building blocks for photonic devices

A Glutathione Peroxidase, Intracellular Peptidases and the TOR Complexes Regulate Peptide Transporter PEPT-1 in C. elegans

The intestinal peptide transporter PEPT-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans is a rheogenic H+-dependent carrier responsible for the absorption of di- and tripeptides. Transporter-deficient pept-1(lg601) worms are characterized by impairments in growth, development and reproduction and develop a severe obesity like phenotype. The transport function of PEPT-1 as well as the influx of free fatty acids was shown to be dependent on the membrane potential and on the intracellular pH homeostasis, both of which are regulated by the sodium-proton exchanger NHX-2. Since many membrane proteins commonly function as complexes, there could be proteins that possibly modulate PEPT-1 expression and function. A systematic RNAi screening of 162 genes that are exclusively expressed in the intestine combined with a functional transport assay revealed four genes with homologues existing in mammals as predicted PEPT-1 modulators. While silencing of a glutathione peroxidase surprisingly caused an increase in PEPT-1 transport function, silencing of the ER to Golgi cargo transport protein and of two cytosolic peptidases reduced PEPT-1 transport activity and this even corresponded with lower PEPT-1 protein levels. These modifications of PEPT-1 function by gene silencing of homologous genes were also found to be conserved in the human epithelial cell line Caco-2/TC7 cells. Peptidase inhibition, amino acid supplementation and RNAi silencing of targets of rapamycin (TOR) components in C. elegans supports evidence that intracellular peptide hydrolysis and amino acid concentration are a part of a sensing system that controls PEPT-1 expression and function and that involves the TOR complexes TORC1 and TORC2

The evaluation of a Taiwanese training program in smoking cessation and the trainees' adherence to a practice guideline

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Taiwanese government began reimbursement for smoking cessation in 2002. Certification from a training program was required for physicians who wanted reimbursement. The program certified 6,009 physicians till 2007. The objective of this study is to evaluate the short- and long term efficacy of the training program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For short term evaluation, all trainees in 2007 were recruited. For long term evaluation, computer randomly selected 2,000 trainees who received training from 2002 to 2006 were recruited. Course satisfaction, knowledge, confidence in providing smoking cessation services and the adherence to a practice guideline were evaluated by questionnaires.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Trainees reported high satisfaction with the training program. There was significant difference between pre- and post-test scores in knowledge. Confidence in providing services was lower in the long term evaluation compared to short term evaluation. For adherence to a practice guideline, 86% asked the status of smoking, 88% advised the smokers to quit, 76% assessed the smoker's willingness to quit, 59% assisted the smokers to quit, and 60% arranged follow-up visits for smokers. The incentive of reimbursement was the most significant factor affecting confidence and adherence.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The training program was satisfactory and effective. Adherence to a practice guideline in our study was better than studies without physician training in other countries.</p

SnO2Nanowire Arrays and Electrical Properties Synthesized by Fast Heating a Mixture of SnO2and CNTs Waste Soot

SnO2nanowire arrays were synthesized by fast heating a mixture of SnO2and the carbon nanotubes waste soot by high-frequency induction heating. The resultant SnO2nanowires possess diameters from 50 to 100 nm and lengths up to tens of mircrometers. The field-effect transistors based on single SnO2nanowire exhibit that as-synthesized nanowires have better transistor performance in terms of transconductance and on/off ratio. This work demonstrates a simple technique to the growth of nanomaterials for application in future nanoelectronic devices

A Missense Mutation in PPARD Causes a Major QTL Effect on Ear Size in Pigs

Chinese Erhualian is the most prolific pig breed in the world. The breed exhibits exceptionally large and floppy ears. To identify genes underlying this typical feature, we previously performed a genome scan in a large scale White Duroc × Erhualian cross and mapped a major QTL for ear size to a 2-cM region on chromosome 7. We herein performed an identical-by-descent analysis that defined the QTL within a 750-kb region. Historically, the large-ear feature has been selected for the ancient sacrificial culture in Erhualian pigs. By using a selective sweep analysis, we then refined the critical region to a 630-kb interval containing 9 annotated genes. Four of the 9 genes are expressed in ear tissues of piglets. Of the 4 genes, PPARD stood out as the strongest candidate gene for its established role in skin homeostasis, cartilage development, and fat metabolism. No differential expression of PPARD was found in ear tissues at different growth stages between large-eared Erhualian and small-eared Duroc pigs. We further screened coding sequence variants in the PPARD gene and identified only one missense mutation (G32E) in a conserved functionally important domain. The protein-altering mutation showed perfect concordance (100%) with the QTL genotypes of all 19 founder animals segregating in the White Duroc × Erhualian cross and occurred at high frequencies exclusively in Chinese large-eared breeds. Moreover, the mutation is of functional significance; it mediates down-regulation of β-catenin and its target gene expression that is crucial for fat deposition in skin. Furthermore, the mutation was significantly associated with ear size across the experimental cross and diverse outbred populations. A worldwide survey of haplotype diversity revealed that the mutation event is of Chinese origin, likely after domestication. Taken together, we provide evidence that PPARD G32E is the variation underlying this major QTL