Consistency of Risk Preference Measures: An Artefactual Field Experiment from Rural China

<p>A variety of measures have been developed to elicit individual risk preferences. How these measures perform in the field, in particular in developing countries with non-student subjects, is still an open question. We implement an artefactual field experiment in rural China to investigate (i) consistency across incentivised experimental risk measures, (ii) consistency in risk preferences elicitation between non-incentivised survey measures and incentivised experiments, and (iii) possible explanations for risk preference inconsistency across measures. We find that inconsistent risk preferences across survey and experimental measures may be explained by ambiguity preferences. In the survey, subjects may mix risk and ambiguity preferences.</p

Click Chemical Ligation-Initiated On-Bead DNA Polymerization for the Sensitive Flow Cytometric Detection of 3′-Terminal 2′-O-Methylated Plant MicroRNA

A versatile flow cytometric strategy is developed for the sensitive detection of plant microRNA (miRNA) by coupling the target-templated click nucleic acid ligation (CNAL) with on-bead terminal enzymatic DNA polymerization (TEP). Unlike ligase-catalyzed ligation reaction, the plant miRNA-templated enzyme-free CNAL between two single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probes, respectively modified with Aza-dibenzocyclooctyne (Aza-DBCO) and N₃, can not only simplify the operation, but also achieve a much higher ligation efficiency. More importantly, the undesirable nonspecific ligation between the Aza-DBCO- and N₃-modified ssDNA, can be effectively eliminated by adding Tween-20, which allows the use of cycling CNAL (CCNAL) in a background-free manner. So each plant miRNA can template many rounds of CNAL reaction to produce numerous ligation products, forming efficient signal amplification. The ligated ssDNA can be anchored on the magnetic beads (MBs) with the 3′-OH termini exposed outside. Then terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), a sequence-independent and template-free polymerase, would specifically catalyze the DNA polymerization along these 3′-OH termini on the MBs, forming poly­(T) tails up to thousands of nucleotides long. Each poly­(T) tail allows specific binding of numerous 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labeled poly­(A)­25 oligonucleotides to accumulate a lot of fluorophores on the MBs, leading to the second step of signal amplification. By integrating the advantages of CCNAL-TEP for highly efficient signal amplification and robust MBs signal readout with powerful flow cytometer, high sensitivity is achieved and the detection limit of plant miRNA has been pushed down to a low level of 5 fM with high specificity to well discriminate even single-base difference between miRNA targets

Click Chemical Ligation-Initiated On-Bead DNA Polymerization for the Sensitive Flow Cytometric Detection of 3′-Terminal 2′-O-Methylated Plant MicroRNA

A versatile flow cytometric strategy is developed for the sensitive detection of plant microRNA (miRNA) by coupling the target-templated click nucleic acid ligation (CNAL) with on-bead terminal enzymatic DNA polymerization (TEP). Unlike ligase-catalyzed ligation reaction, the plant miRNA-templated enzyme-free CNAL between two single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probes, respectively modified with Aza-dibenzocyclooctyne (Aza-DBCO) and N₃, can not only simplify the operation, but also achieve a much higher ligation efficiency. More importantly, the undesirable nonspecific ligation between the Aza-DBCO- and N₃-modified ssDNA, can be effectively eliminated by adding Tween-20, which allows the use of cycling CNAL (CCNAL) in a background-free manner. So each plant miRNA can template many rounds of CNAL reaction to produce numerous ligation products, forming efficient signal amplification. The ligated ssDNA can be anchored on the magnetic beads (MBs) with the 3′-OH termini exposed outside. Then terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), a sequence-independent and template-free polymerase, would specifically catalyze the DNA polymerization along these 3′-OH termini on the MBs, forming poly­(T) tails up to thousands of nucleotides long. Each poly­(T) tail allows specific binding of numerous 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labeled poly­(A)­25 oligonucleotides to accumulate a lot of fluorophores on the MBs, leading to the second step of signal amplification. By integrating the advantages of CCNAL-TEP for highly efficient signal amplification and robust MBs signal readout with powerful flow cytometer, high sensitivity is achieved and the detection limit of plant miRNA has been pushed down to a low level of 5 fM with high specificity to well discriminate even single-base difference between miRNA targets

Field-Free Spin–Orbit Torque Switching from Geometrical Domain-Wall Pinning

Spin–orbit torques, which utilize spin currents arising from the spin–orbit coupling, offer a novel method for the electrical switching of the magnetization with perpendicular anisotropy. However, the necessity of an external magnetic field to achieve deterministic switching is an obstacle for realizing practical spin–orbit torque devices with all-electric operation. Here, we report field-free spin–orbit torque switching by exploiting the domain-wall motion in an anti-notched microwire with perpendicular anisotropy, which exhibits multidomain states stabilized by the domain-wall surface tension. The combination of spin–orbit torque, Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions, and domain-wall surface-tension-induced geometrical pinning allows the deterministic control of the domain wall and offers a novel method to achieve a field-free spin–orbit torque switching. Our work demonstrates the proof of concept of a perpendicular memory cell that can be readily adopted in three-terminal magnetic memory

Facile and Scalable Synthesis of Zn₃V₂O₇(OH)₂·2H₂O Microflowers as a High-Performance Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The employment of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies has been widely acknowledged as an effective strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, how to produce nanomaterials effectively on a large scale remains a challenge. Here, the highly crystallized Zn₃­V₂O₇­(OH)₂·​2H₂O is synthesized through a simple liquid phase method at room temperature in a large scale, which is easily realized in industry. Through suppressing the reaction dynamics with ethylene glycol, a uniform morphology of microflowers is obtained. Owing to the multiple reaction mechanisms (insertion, conversion, and alloying) during Li insertion/​extraction, the prepared electrode delivers a remarkable specific capacity of 1287 mA h g^–1 at 0.2 A g^–1 after 120 cycles. In addition, a high capacity of 298 mA h g^–1 can be obtained at 5 A g^–1 after 1400 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the high crystallinity and large specific surface area of active materials. The smaller particles after cycling could facilitate the lithium-ion transport and provide more reaction sites. The facile and scalable synthesis process and excellent electrochemical performance make this material a highly promising anode for the commercial LIBs

Large Nonlinear Transverse Conductivity and Berry Curvature in KTaO₃ Based Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at oxide interfaces exhibits various exotic properties stemming from interfacial inversion and symmetry breaking. In this work, we report large nonlinear transverse conductivities in the LaAlO3/KTaO3 interface 2DEG under zero magnetic field. Skew scattering was identified as the dominant origin based on the cubic scaling of nonlinear transverse conductivity with linear longitudinal conductivity and 3-fold symmetry. Moreover, gate-tunable nonlinear transport with pronounced peak and dip was observed and reproduced by our theoretical calculation. These results indicate the presence of Berry curvature hotspots and thus a large Berry curvature triplet at the oxide interface. Our theoretical calculations confirm the existence of large Berry curvatures from the avoided crossing of multiple 5d-orbit bands, orders of magnitude larger than that in transition-metal dichalcogenides. Nonlinear transport offers a new pathway to probe the Berry curvature at oxide interfaces and facilitates new applications in oxide nonlinear electronics

Direct Aqueous Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes Using Nanoparticle-Formed Fullerenes and Self-Assembled Formation of p/n Heterojunctions with Polythiophene

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have received much attention because of their potential in optoelectronic applications. Pristine SWCNTs exhibit substantial van der Waals interactions and hydrophobic characteristics, so precipitation occurs immediately in most organic solvents and water. Highly toxic and hazardous chemicals are often used to obtain well-dispersed SWCNTs. Developing environmentally friendly processing methods for safe and practical applications is a great challenge. Here, we demonstrate direct exfoliation of SWCNTs in pure water only with n-type semiconducting fullerene nanoparticles. The resultant SWCNTs can be well-dispersed in water, where they remain essentially unchanged for several weeks. Adding an aqueous solution of p-type semiconducting water-soluble polythiophene yields self-assembled p/n heterojunctions between polythiophene and the nanoparticles. The aqueous-dispersed SWCNTs yield photocurrent responses in solution-processed thin films as a potential application of water-dispersed carbon nanomaterials

Video_1_Case report: Complex paraneoplastic syndromes in thymoma with nephrotic syndrome, cutaneous amyloidosis, myasthenia gravis, and Morvan’s syndrome.mp4

BackgroundApart from myasthenia gravis (MG), thymoma is associated with a wide spectrum of autoimmune paraneoplastic syndromes (PNSs). Here, we report on a rare case presenting with four different PNSs, namely, MG, membranous nephropathy, cutaneous amyloidosis, and Morvan’s syndrome associated with thymoma.Case presentationA middle-aged man was frequently hospitalized because of nephrotic syndrome (stage I membranous nephropathy), cutaneous amyloidosis, and MG with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody and titin antibody positivity. Chest CT showed a thymic mass in the left anterior mediastinum, and he received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), methylprednisolone pulse therapy, thoracoscopic thymoma resection, and radiotherapy. Postoperative pathological examination revealed a type B2 thymoma. During the perioperative stage, his electrocardiogram (ECG) showed myocardial infarction-like ECG changes; however, his levels of cardiac enzymes and troponin were normal, and he had no symptoms of precardiac discomfort. Six months after thymectomy, his nephrotic syndrome and MG symptoms were relieved; however, he presented with typical manifestations of Morvan’s syndrome, including neuromyotonia, severe insomnia, abnormal ECG activity, and antibodies against leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) and γ-amino-butyric acid-B receptor (GABABR). His symptoms did not improve after repeated IVIG and steroid therapies. Finally, he received low-dose rituximab, and his symptoms gradually resolved.ConclusionThis case serves to remind us that apart from MG, thymoma is also associated with other autoimmune PNSs such as membranous nephropathy, cutaneous amyloidosis, and Morvan’s syndrome. Autoimmune PNSs can present concurrently with or after surgical or medical therapy for thymoma. For Morvan’s syndrome post-thymectomy with LGI1 antibody positivity, B-cell depletion therapy such as intravenous rituximab is an effective treatment.</p

Sample characteristics at Wave 4.

BackgroundWe assessed longitudinal effects of e-cigarette use on respiratory symptoms in a nationally representative sample of US adults by combustible tobacco smoking status.MethodsWe analyzed Waves 4–5 public-use data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. Study sample included adult respondents who reported no diagnosis of respiratory diseases at Wave 4, and completed Waves 4–5 surveys with no missing data on analytic variables (N = 15,291). Outcome was a validated index of functionally important respiratory symptoms based on 7 wheezing/cough questions (range 0–9). An index score of ≥2 was defined as having important respiratory symptoms. Weighted lagged logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between e-cigarette use status at Wave 4 (former/current vs. never use) and important respiratory symptoms at Wave 5 by combustible tobacco smoking status (i.e., never/former/current smokers), adjusting for Wave 4 respiratory symptom index, sociodemographic characteristics, secondhand smoke exposure, body mass index, and chronic disease.ResultsAmong current combustible tobacco smokers, e-cigarette use was associated with increased odds of reporting important respiratory symptoms (former e-cigarette use: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–1.81; current e-cigarette use: AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17–2.06). Among former combustible tobacco smokers, former e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.06–2.15)—but not current e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.91–2.78)—was associated with increased odds of important respiratory symptoms. Among never combustible tobacco smokers, no significant association was detected between e-cigarette use and important respiratory symptoms (former e-cigarette use: AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.76–3.46; current e-cigarette use: AOR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.27–2.56).ConclusionsThe association between e-cigarette use and respiratory symptoms varied by combustible tobacco smoking status. Current combustible tobacco smokers who use e-cigarettes have an elevated risk of respiratory impairments.</div

Number of days using e-cigarettes and smoking combustible cigarettes in the past 30 days at Wave 4.

Number of days using e-cigarettes and smoking combustible cigarettes in the past 30 days at Wave 4.</p