Observation of forbidden phonons and dark excitons by resonance Raman scattering in few-layer WS2_2

The optical properties of the two-dimensional (2D) crystals are dominated by tightly bound electron-hole pairs (excitons) and lattice vibration modes (phonons). The exciton-phonon interaction is fundamentally important to understand the optical properties of 2D materials and thus help develop emerging 2D crystal based optoelectronic devices. Here, we presented the excitonic resonant Raman scattering (RRS) spectra of few-layer WS$_2$ excited by 11 lasers lines covered all of A, B and C exciton transition energies at different sample temperatures from 4 to 300 K. As a result, we are not only able to probe the forbidden phonon modes unobserved in ordinary Raman scattering, but also can determine the bright and dark state fine structures of 1s A exciton. In particular, we also observed the quantum interference between low-energy discrete phonon and exciton continuum under resonant excitation. Our works pave a way to understand the exciton-phonon coupling and many-body effects in 2D materials.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure

Deep Group Interest Modeling of Full Lifelong User Behaviors for CTR Prediction

Extracting users' interests from their lifelong behavior sequence is crucial for predicting Click-Through Rate (CTR). Most current methods employ a two-stage process for efficiency: they first select historical behaviors related to the candidate item and then deduce the user's interest from this narrowed-down behavior sub-sequence. This two-stage paradigm, though effective, leads to information loss. Solely using users' lifelong click behaviors doesn't provide a complete picture of their interests, leading to suboptimal performance. In our research, we introduce the Deep Group Interest Network (DGIN), an end-to-end method to model the user's entire behavior history. This includes all post-registration actions, such as clicks, cart additions, purchases, and more, providing a nuanced user understanding. We start by grouping the full range of behaviors using a relevant key (like item_id) to enhance efficiency. This process reduces the behavior length significantly, from O(10^4) to O(10^2). To mitigate the potential loss of information due to grouping, we incorporate two categories of group attributes. Within each group, we calculate statistical information on various heterogeneous behaviors (like behavior counts) and employ self-attention mechanisms to highlight unique behavior characteristics (like behavior type). Based on this reorganized behavior data, the user's interests are derived using the Transformer technique. Additionally, we identify a subset of behaviors that share the same item_id with the candidate item from the lifelong behavior sequence. The insights from this subset reveal the user's decision-making process related to the candidate item, improving prediction accuracy. Our comprehensive evaluation, both on industrial and public datasets, validates DGIN's efficacy and efficiency

Activation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK Pathway through a PDGFRβ-Dependent Feedback Loop Is Involved in Rapamycin Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Rapamycin is an attractive approach for the treatment and prevention of HCC recurrence after liver transplantation. However, the objective response rates of rapamycin achieved with single-agent therapy were modest, supporting that rapamycin resistance is a frequently observed characteristic of many cancers. Some studies have been devoted to understanding the mechanisms of rapamycin resistance, however, the mechanisms are cell-type-dependent and studies on rapamycin resistance in HCC are extremely limited. Methodology/Principal Findings: The anti-tumor sensitivity of rapamycin was modest in vitro and in vivo. In both human and rat HCC cells, rapamycin up-regulated the expression and phosphorylation of PDGFRb in a time and dose-dependent manner as assessed by RT-PCR and western blot analysis. Using siRNA mediated knockdown of PDGFRb, we confirmed that subsequent activation of AKT and ERK was PDGFRb-dependent and compromised the anti-tumor activity of rapamycin. Then, blockade of this PDGFRb-dependent feedback loop by sorafenib enhanced the anti-tumor sensitivity of rapamycin in vitro and in an immunocompetent orthotopic rat model of HCC. Conclusions: Activation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathway through a PDGFRb-dependent feedback loop compromises the anti-tumor activity of rapamycin in HCC, and blockade of this feedback loop by sorafenib is an attractive approach t

Design of an ASIC Digital Clock Using VLSI Technology

We present the design of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) digital clock based on the 0.12 µm deep submicron technology node. The widths of the PMOS and NMOS transistors are 0.72 µm and 0.24 µm, respectively. The clock expresses time based on the 12-hour time notation. The gate-level schematic and the layout of the design are drawn and validated using DSCH3 and Microwind3 Lite. The key feature of the clock is constructed from 18 D-type flip-flops. Two modulo-60 counters and a modulo-12 counter are built from the flip-flops. The modulo-60 counters are used for the second and minute modules, while the modulo-12 flip-flop is for the hour module. The length and width of the layout are, respectively, 153.60 µm and 58.14 µm. This is to say that the size of the die is comparable with that of a human hair. The average static power dissipation is found to be 0.202 mW, which is reasonably low. Since the proposed design is in the form of an ASIC chip, the input and output pins merely require to be connected to an external power source, an oscillator, and displays, to allow the clock to operate properly. With its miniaturized size and low power consumption, the proposed design clearly exhibits advantages over those built using discrete components and general-purpose chips

Disability Weight of Clonorchis sinensis Infection: Captured from Community Study and Model Simulation

Clonorchiasis is caused by eating incompletely cooked fishery product which carries the larval of Clonorchis sinensis. Millions of people are estimated to suffer in Southeast Asia. However, it is still among the most neglected tropical diseases due to the lack of clear evaluation, of which no disease burden available is one important reason. Our study is the first attempt to estimate the disability of C. sinensis infection, which reflects the average loss of life value due to some conditions and is crucial for calculating disease burden in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). After obtaining the probability and disability of single sequelae caused by C. sinensis infection through community investigation and literatures reviewing respectively, the overall disability was captured through model simulation. It was showed the overall disability of the male was higher than that of the female, positive correlation occurred between disability and infection intensity, and gallstone took the major attributable proportion. Thus, C. sinensis infection can cause apparent disability. The disability captured here may promote the further studies and benefit the final estimation of disease burden, which will promote health awareness and implementation of intervention

Depression, anxiety and insomnia in Chinese older adults and their family caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic: an actor-partner interdependence model approach

AimsThis study aimed to explore the dyadic effects of depression and anxiety on insomnia symptoms in Chinese older adults and their caregivers living in a community setting.MethodsData were collected from 1,507 pairs of older adults and their caregivers who were in the Guangdong Mental Health Survey in China. The 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder module 7 (GAD-7), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used to measure depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM) were used to determine whether anxiety or depression symptoms predicted individual or dyadic insomnia.ResultsOlder adults' and caregivers' depression and anxiety had significant positive correlations with their own and their caregivers' insomnia symptoms (all P < 0.001). Actor effects were found between depression and insomnia symptoms in both older adults and caregivers (B = 0.695, P < 0.001; B = 0.547, P < 0.001, respectively), with one significant partner effects (B = 0.080, P = 0.007). Actor effects were also found between anxiety and insomnia symptoms in both older adults and caregivers (B = 0.825, P < 0.001; B = 0.751, P < 0.001, respectively), with one significant partner effects (B = 0.097, P = 0.004). However, the caregivers' depression and anxiety were not associated with older adults' insomnia symptoms in the APIM analyses.ConclusionsOlder adults and their caregivers had an interrelationship between psychological distress and insomnia. Consequently, healthcare providers might consider involving dyads when designing programs to reduce insomnia and improve psychological distress for family caregivers

Stereospecific access to bridged [ n .2.1] skeletons through gold-catalyzed tandem reaction of indolyl homopropargyl amides

Abstract(#br)An efficient gold-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov cycloisomerization-initiated tandem reaction of Boc-protected indole tethered homopropargyl amides has been achieved. This method delivers a wide range of valuable bridged aza-[ n .2.1] skeletons ( n = 3–7) at room temperature with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity by a chirality-transfer strategy. Moreover, the gold-catalyzed tandem reaction of homopropargyl alcohol is also achieved to produce the bridged oxa-[3.2.1] skeleton