PMeS: Prediction of Methylation Sites Based on Enhanced Feature Encoding Scheme

Protein methylation is predominantly found on lysine and arginine residues, and carries many important biological functions, including gene regulation and signal transduction. Given their important involvement in gene expression, protein methylation and their regulatory enzymes are implicated in a variety of human disease states such as cancer, coronary heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, identification of methylation sites can be very helpful for the drug designs of various related diseases. In this study, we developed a method called PMeS to improve the prediction of protein methylation sites based on an enhanced feature encoding scheme and support vector machine. The enhanced feature encoding scheme was composed of the sparse property coding, normalized van der Waals volume, position weight amino acid composition and accessible surface area. The PMeS achieved a promising performance with a sensitivity of 92.45%, a specificity of 93.18%, an accuracy of 92.82% and a Matthew’s correlation coefficient of 85.69% for arginine as well as a sensitivity of 84.38%, a specificity of 93.94%, an accuracy of 89.16% and a Matthew’s correlation coefficient of 78.68% for lysine in 10-fold cross validation. Compared with other existing methods, the PMeS provides better predictive performance and greater robustness. It can be anticipated that the PMeS might be useful to guide future experiments needed to identify potential methylation sites in proteins of interest. The online service is available at http://bioinfo.ncu.edu.cn/inquiries_PMeS.aspx

High figure of merit (FOM) of Bragg modes in Au-coated nanodisk arrays for plasmonic sensing

We report that gold-coated nanodisk arrays of nearly micron periodicity have high figure of merit (FOM) and sensitivity necessary for plasmonic refractometric sensing, with the added benefit of suitability for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), large scale microfabrication using standard photolithographic techniques and a simple instrumental setup. Gold nanodisk arrays were covered with a gold layer to excite the Bragg modes (BM) which are the propagative surface plasmons localized by the diffraction from the disk array. This generated surface-guided modes, localized as standing waves, leading to highly confined fields confirmed by a mapping of the SERS intensity and numerical simulations with 3D finite element method (3D FEM). The optimal gold-coated nanodisk arrays were applied for refractometric sensing in transmission spectroscopy with better performance than nanohole arrays and they were integrated to a 96-well plate reader for detection of IgY proteins in the nM range in PBS. The potential for sensing in biofluids was assessed with IgG detection in 1:1 diluted urine. The structure exhibits a high FOM of up to 46, exceeding the FOM of structures supporting surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and comparable to more complex nanostructures, demonstrating that sub-wavelength features are not necessary for high performance plasmonic sensing

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

首度上市公司融資選擇行為及預測模式之研究

本研究以民國75年到88年首度上市、櫃公司為研究樣本，探討它們上市後的首次融資行為。利用羅吉斯迴歸模型驗證抵換理論、資訊不對稱理論、代理理論如何影響樣本公司的對外融資選擇，因為研究樣本的管理者和投資人間的資訊不對稱情形比較嚴重，所以本研究預期樣本公司的首度融資選擇行為應該符合資訊不對稱理論。本研究分別控制產業別、市場景氣、融資年度別及債市活絡程度等因素，驗證5個假說中變數間的關係。但實證結果卻發現，資訊不對稱理論並非樣本公司融資選擇的主要影響因素，而抵換理論是樣本公司融資選擇的主要影響因素。本研究實證的第二部分係依據累積超常報酬率大於零的樣本，建構融資選擇預測模型，預測樣本外的融資選擇行為。This paper examined the financing behaviors of IPOs firms in Taiwan from 1986 to 2002 and predicted the financing choices of the sample companies. We want to test Pecking Order theory, trade-off theory, agency theory, other variables – age, firm size and intangible asset ratio, industry variable, and control variables- market variable, financing year variable and bond market. But the result don’t consist the theory. The trade-off theory mainly influenced the financing behavior of the sample. The second empirical model is to construct the prediction model of financing behavior

The Effect of Rate Regulation on Managemnet and Operation in the Property Insurance Company

　　第一章緒論，旨在說明本文的研究動機與目的，介紹研究方法及文獻探討的部份。第二章美日兩國產險費率監理制度之探討，說明費率監理制度種類及自由費率之範疇，探討規章費率和自由費率實施理由，並研究美日兩國產險費率監理制度及其業者經營之道。第三章我國費率監理制度之探討，闡明我國現行產險費率法規及監理制度，並探討現行費率監理制度對我國業者經營管理之影響。第四章我國實施費率自由化之條件，首先介紹文獻中曾論及費率自由化的研究報告，根據文獻的條件，後述我國費率自由化所應具備的條件。第五章費率自由化下產險公司管理經營之因應對策，論述我國費率監理制度改變後，對產險公司經營管理之影響及產險公司因應之道。第六章結論與建議，綜合本文所述，對於產險業者因應費率自由化的政策做一結論；並提供建議予保險監理機關和保險業者，期能健全保險市場之發展

Voltammetric Enhancement of Li-Ion Conduction in Al-Doped Li7-xLa3Zr2O12 Solid Electrolyte

2017 American Chemical Society. Al-doped Li 7-x La 3 Zr 2 O 12 is found to be more ionically conductive following voltammetric treatment in an all-solid-state Li|Li 7-x La 3 Zr 2 O 12 |Li cell configuration. This result is consistent with electrical impedance spectroscopy measurements, which reveal that the activation energy for lithium diffusion is reduced from 0.32 to 0.26 eV following voltammetric treatment. The Li deposition-dissolution signal has been observed in the voltammograms, and neutron powder diffraction shows an increase in the lithium content of the Li 7-x La 3 Zr 2 O 12 . Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates a local rearrangement of O, resulting in a reduction of defects following voltammetric treatment, with the enhanced conductivity attributable to both the reduction of defect oxygen and increased lithium content. This work, therefore, reveals such voltammetric treatment as a simple and inexpensive alternative to existing doping approaches to boost the electrochemical performance of Li 7-x La 3 Zr 2 O 12 . The findings can improve the future development of all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. On the other hand, our approach to understanding the conductivity enhancement via voltammetric treatment may provide a better alteration in the ionic conduction of solid electrolytes during solid-state battery operation. (Graph Presented)

Capacity Enhancement of the Quenched Li-Ni-Mn-Co Oxide High-voltage Li-ion Battery Positive Electrode

Li-rich metal oxides, regarded as a high-voltage composite cathode, is currently one of the hottest positive electrode material for lithium-ion batteries, due to its high-capacity and high-energy performance. The crystallography, phase composition and morphology can be altered by synthesis parameters, which can influence drastically the capacity and cycling performance. In this work, we demonstrate Li1.207Ni0.127Mn0.54Co0.127O2, obtained by a co-precipitation method, exhibits super-high specific capacity up to 298 mAh g−1 and excellent capacity retention of ∼100% up to 50 cycles. Using neutron powder diffraction and transmission X-ray microscopy, we have found that the cooling-treatments applied after sintering during synthesis are crucially important in controlling the phase composition and morphology of the cathodes, thereby influencing the electrochemical performance. Unique spherical microstructure, larger lattice, and higher content of Li-rich monoclinic component can be achieved in the rapid quenching process, whereas severe particle cracking along with the smaller lattice and lower monoclinic component content is obtained when natural cooling of the furnace is applied. Combined with electrochemical impedance spectra, a plausible mechanism is described for the poorer specific capacity and cycling stability of the composite cathodes

An efficient multi-doping strategy to enhance Li-ion conductivity in the garnet-type solid electrolyte Li7La3Zr2O12

Lithium-ion (Li + ) batteries suffer from problems caused by the chemical instability of their organic electrolytes. Solid-state electrolytes that exhibit high ionic conductivities and are stable to lithium metal are potential replacements for flammable organic electrolytes. Garnet-type Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 is a promising solid-state electrolyte for next-generation solid-state Li batteries. In this study, we prepared mono-, dual-, and ternary-doped lithium (Li) garnets by doping tantalum (Ta), tantalum-barium (Ta-Ba), and tantalum-barium-gallium (Ta-Ba-Ga) ions, along with an undoped Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) cubic garnet electrolyte, using a conventional solid-state reaction method. The effect of multi-ion doping on the Li + dynamics in the garnet-type LLZO was studied by combining joint Rietveld refinement against X-ray diffraction and high-resolution neutron powder diffraction analyses with the results of Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and multinuclear magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance. Our results revealed that Li + occupancy in the tetrahedrally coordinated site (24d) increased with increased multi-ion doping in LLZO, whereas Li + occupancy in the octahedrally coordinated site (96h) remained constant. Among the investigated compounds, the ternary-doped garnet structure Li 6.65 Ga 0.05 La 2.95 Ba 0.05 Zr 1.75 Ta 0.25 O 12 (LGLBZTO) exhibited the highest total ionic conductivity of 0.72 and 1.24 mS cm -1 at room temperature and 60 °C, respectively. Overall, our findings revealed that the dense microstructure and increased Li + occupancy in the tetrahedral-24d Li1 site played a key role in achieving the maximum room-temperature Li-ion conductivity in the ternary-doped LGLBZTO garnet, and that the prepared ternary-doped LGLBZTO was a potential solid electrolyte for Li-ion batteries without polymer adhesion