Soongsil University

Crystalline solids with extended non-interpenetrating three-dimensional crystal structures were synthesized that support well-defined pores with internal diameters of up to 48 angstroms. The Zn4O(CO2)6 unit was joined with either one or two kinds of organic link, 4,4',4''-[benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tris(ethyne-2,1-diyl)]tribenzoate (BTE), 4,4',44''-[benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tris(benzene-4,1-diyl)]tribenzoate (BBC), 4,4',44''-benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tribenzoate (BTB)/2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (NDC), and BTE/biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate (BPDC), to give four metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), MOF-180, -200, -205, and -210, respectively. Members of this series of MOFs show exceptional porosities and gas (hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide) uptake capacities. For example, MOF-210 has Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Langmuir surface areas of 6240 and 10,400 square meters per gram, respectively, and a total carbon dioxide storage capacity of 2870 milligrams per gram. The volume-specific internal surface area of MOF-210 (2060 square meters per cubic centimeter) is equivalent to the outer surface of nanoparticles (3-nanometer cubes) and near the ultimate adsorption limit for solid materials.

Doil Choi and colleagues report the genome sequence of the hot pepper, Capsicum annuum, as well as the resequencing of two cultivated peppers and a wild species, Capsicum chinense. Comparative genomic analysis across Solanaceae provides insights into genome expansion, pungency, ripening and disease resistance in hot peppers. Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum), one of the oldest domesticated crops in the Americas, is the most widely grown spice crop in the world. We report whole-genome sequencing and assembly of the hot pepper (Mexican landrace of Capsicum annuum cv. CM334) at 186.6× coverage. We also report resequencing of two cultivated peppers and de novo sequencing of the wild species Capsicum chinense. The genome size of the hot pepper was approximately fourfold larger than that of its close relative tomato, and the genome showed an accumulation of Gypsy and Caulimoviridae family elements. Integrative genomic and transcriptomic analyses suggested that change in gene expression and neofunctionalization of capsaicin synthase have shaped capsaicinoid biosynthesis. We found differential molecular patterns of ripening regulators and ethylene synthesis in hot pepper and tomato. The reference genome will serve as a platform for improving the nutritional and medicinal values of Capsicum species.

OBJECTIVES: Since the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) identified on Jan 20, 2020, in South Korea, the number of cases rapidly increased, resulting in 6284 cases including 42 deaths as of Mar 6, 2020. To examine the growth rate of the outbreak, we present the first study to report the reproduction number of COVID-19 in South Korea. METHODS: The daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea were extracted from publicly available sources. By using the empirical reporting delay distribution and simulating the generalized growth model, we estimated the effective reproduction number based on the discretized probability distribution of the generation interval. RESULTS: We identified four major clusters and estimated the reproduction number at 1.5 (95% CI: 1.4-1.6). In addition, the intrinsic growth rate was estimated at 0.6 (95% CI: 0.6, 0.7), and the scaling of growth parameter was estimated at 0.8 (95% CI: 0.7, 0.8), indicating sub-exponential growth dynamics of COVID-19. The crude case fatality rate is higher among males (1.1%) compared to females (0.4%) and increases with older age. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate an early sustained transmission of COVID-19 in South Korea and support the implementation of social distancing measures to rapidly control the outbreak.

Asia harbors substantial cultural and linguistic diversity, but the geographic structure of genetic variation across the continent remains enigmatic. Here we report a large-scale survey of autosomal variation from a broad geographic sample of Asian human populations. Our results show that genetic ancestry is strongly correlated with linguistic affiliations as well as geography. Most populations show relatedness within ethnic/linguistic groups, despite prevalent gene flow among populations. More than 90% of East Asian (EA) haplotypes could be found in either Southeast Asian (SEA) or Central-South Asian (CSA) populations and show clinal structure with haplotype diversity decreasing from south to north. Furthermore, 50% of EA haplotypes were found in SEA only and 5% were found in CSA only, indicating that SEA was a major geographic source of EA populations.

With the development of smart grid, residents have the opportunity to schedule their power usage in the home by themselves for the purpose of reducing electricity expense and alleviating the power peak-to-average ratio (PAR). In this paper, we first introduce a general architecture of energy management system (EMS) in a home area network (HAN) based on the smart grid and then propose an efficient scheduling method for home power usage. The home gateway (HG) receives the demand response (DR) information indicating the real-time electricity price that is transferred to an energy management controller (EMC). With the DR, the EMC achieves an optimal power scheduling scheme that can be delivered to each electric appliance by the HG. Accordingly, all appliances in the home operate automatically in the most cost-effective way. When only the real-time pricing (RTP) model is adopted, there is the possibility that most appliances would operate during the time with the lowest electricity price, and this may damage the entire electricity system due to the high PAR. In our research, we combine RTP with the inclining block rate (IBR) model. By adopting this combined pricing model, our proposed power scheduling method would effectively reduce both the electricity cost and PAR, thereby, strengthening the stability of the entire electricity system. Because these kinds of optimization problems are usually nonlinear, we use a genetic algorithm to solve this problem.

We report a measurement of the branching fraction ratios $R({D}^{(*)})$ of $\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{(*)}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ relative to $\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{(*)}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}$ (where $\ensuremath{\ell}=e$ or $\ensuremath{\mu}$) using the full Belle data sample of $772\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}B\overline{B}$ pairs collected at the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider. The measured values are $R(D)=0.375\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.064(\text{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.026(\text{syst})$ and $R({D}^{*})=0.293\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.038(\text{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015(\text{syst})$. The analysis uses hadronic reconstruction of the tag-side $B$ meson and purely leptonic $\ensuremath{\tau}$ decays. The results are consistent with earlier measurements and do not show a significant deviation from the standard model prediction.

Flash memory is being rapidly deployed as data storage for mobile devices such as PDAs, MP3 players, mobile phones, and digital cameras, mainly because of its low electronic power, nonvolatile storage, high performance, physical stability, and portability. One disadvantage of flash memory is that prewritten data cannot be dynamically overwritten. Before overwriting prewritten data, a time-consuming erase operation on the used blocks must precede, which significantly degrades the overall write performance of flash memory. In order to solve this “erase-before-write” problem, the flash memory controller can be integrated with a software module, called “flash translation layer (FTL).” Among many FTL schemes available, the log block buffer scheme is considered to be optimum. With this scheme, a small number of log blocks, a kind of write buffer, can improve the performance of write operations by reducing the number of erase operations. However, this scheme can suffer from low space utilization of log blocks. In this paper, we show that there is much room for performance improvement in the log buffer block scheme, and propose an enhanced log block buffer scheme, called FAST (full associative sector translation). Our FAST scheme improves the space utilization of log blocks using fully-associative sector translations for the log block sectors. We also show empirically that our FAST scheme outperforms the pure log block buffer scheme.

Pressure-sensitive electronic skin composed of a hierarchical structural array exhibits outstanding linear and high sensitivity in the pressure range exerted by gentle touch. By virtue of monolayer graphene acting as electrode material, this device can be operated with low voltage. Especially, its high transparency enables an accurate placement of the device on the target position when it is used for health monitoring. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

A strategy based on assembling metal ions and organic carboxylate links has been applied for the design and synthesis of a new class of porous, truncated tetrahedral and heterocuboidal polyhedra, whose pore size and functionality can be systematically varied. The synthesis of this series of metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs) employs sulfate-capped oxygen-centered iron-carboxylate trimers, Fe3O(CO2)3(-)(SO4)3, as rigid nodes separated by linear (phenyl, biphenyl, terphenyl, and tetrahydropyrene) or trigonal (benzenetriphenyl) links to yield five highly crystalline polyhedra of general formula [NH2(CH3)2]8[Fe12O4(-)(SO4)12(link)x(py)12].G (x = 6 for linear or 4 for trigonal, py = pyridine, G = guests). In this series, the size of each polyhedron has been varied from 20.0 to 28.5 A (on edge), and the corresponding pore diameter from 7.3 to 13.3 A. Gas sorption isotherms were measured for three members of this series to reveal significant uptake of gases (N2, Ar, CO2, H2, CH4) and benzene and exhibit Type I sorption behavior that is indicative of permanent porosity. The apparent surface areas for these compounds range from 387 to 480 m(2)/g.

A transparent and stretchable all-graphene multifunctional electronic-skin sensor matrix is developed. Three different functional sensors are included in this matrix: humidity, thermal, and pressure sensors. These are judiciously integrated into a layer-by-layer geometry through a simple lamination process. Electronic skins (E-skins) are flexible circuitry matrices in which each sensor cell can transduce external stimuli on epidermis to electronic signals. E-skins are potentially useful in the fabrication of wearable human-machine interfacing devices, remote real-time health monitoring, implantable prosthetics, and multifunctional smart skins.1-6 For example, pressure-sensitive rubbers integrated with organic transistor matrices have been used to map pressure distributions.7-11 A variety of skin-like pressure or strain sensors fabricated by sandwiching elastomeric materials between soft conductors have also been reported.12-17 A piezoelectric material or interdigitated electrode design has been introduced into a graphene transistor matrix to prepare a stretchable tactile E-skin.18-20 Previous studies of E-skins have mainly focused on tactile sensors that transduce physical variables (pressure, shear, or strain) into electronic signals. Plausible mimics of multifunctional human skin will require multimodal detection, including temperature, humidity, and pressure, integrated into a single pixel. Practical E-skin matrices require two additional qualifications: (i) simultaneous multiple stimuli sensing and (ii) low-cost and facile fabrication processes that minimize materials. The specifications may be met by developing rational device architecture designs using simple sensing materials. Graphene, a 2D hybridized carbon layer with a hexagonal honeycomb lattice, has attracted attention for its utility in a variety of electronic device applications. Its unique charge transport allows a high carrier concentration (1013 cm–2) with a mobility exceeding 104 cm2 V–1 s–1 under ambient condition.21 Excellent mechanical properties extend the applicability of graphene to stretchable devices, and a good thermal conductivity enhances heat dissipation in highly integrated circuits.22, 23 High-quality large-area graphene may be used in transparent conducting electrodes fabricated through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and subsequent roll-to-roll transfer processes. These graphene electrodes exhibit a sheet resistance as low as 125 Ω sq−1 and a 97% optical transmittance.24 Graphene oxide (GO) or its reduced form, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), two graphene derivatives, may also be mass-produced using a solution process called Hummers method by exfoliating the materials from graphite.25-27 The surface functional groups on GO or rGO, including hydroxyl, carboxyl, and epoxy groups, are very sensitive to environmental conditions, including humidity, chemicals, and temperature, and they have been widely used as sensing materials.28-33 The adoption of versatile graphene derivatives in E-skin applications paves the way to achieve transparent and multifunctional sensors with facile fabrication process. Here, we developed a transparent and stretchable all-graphene multifunctional E-skin sensor matrix. Three different functional sensors were included in this matrix: humidity, thermal, and pressure sensors, and were judiciously integrated into a layer-by-layer geometry through a simple lamination process. CVD-grown graphene was used to form the electrodes and interconnects for these three sensors, whereas GO and rGO were used as the active sensing materials for the humidity and temperature sensors, respectively. The top polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate, which bore the GO humidity sensor array, was laminated in a crisscross fashion onto the top of the bottom PDMS substrate, which bore the rGO temperature sensor array. The arrays were prepared to have the same geometry. The top PDMS substrate sandwiched between two CVD-graphene electrodes acted as an active layer for the capacitive pressure and strain sensors. Together, the sensors monitored a variety of daily life sensations (e.g., a hot wind blowing, breathing, and finger touching) with excellent sensitivity. Each sensor in the matrix exhibited simplex sensing performance: it was only sensitive to its specific stimulation and gave no response to other stimulations. The three sensors in the matrix detected external stimuli simultaneously and relayed independent electrical signals. 2D color mappings of the simultaneous multifunctional sensing were collected. The device architecture developed here for use as a multifunctional E-skin sensor matrix not only avoided the preparation of several materials separately; it enabled sensor integration using a simple lamination method. Figure 1a shows a schematic diagram of the method used to fabricate the multifunctional sensor matrix (a 6 × 6 sensors array in this work, demonstrated using a simple 2 × 2 array). The top GO-based humidity sensor and the bottom rGO-based thermal sensor were prepared using the same geometry: four CVD-graphene (Gr) subelectrodes on each substrate shared two CVD-Gr main electrodes. The sheet resistance of the CVD-graphene electrode was measured to be around 500 Ω sq−1. Prior to transferring the CVD-Gr electrodes onto the PDMS substrate, the substrate was treated with O2 plasma to form a hydrophilic surface. The GO or rGO dispersion (characterized by AFM, XPS, and FT-IR spectroscopy, as shown in Figure S1 in the Supporting Information) was spray-coated onto the region between the patterned CVD-Gr electrodes on the two PDMS substrates to form the sensing channel. The top PDMS substrate prepared with a GO-based humidity sensor array was then laminated onto the top of the bottom PDMS substrate prepared with the rGO thermal sensor array, after rotation through a 90° angle, followed by a subsequent degassing process in a vacuum chamber over 30 min to remove bubbles between the two layers. Prior to lamination, the backside of the top PDMS substrate was treated with O2 plasma to promote interfacial adhesion between the two PDMS layers via the dehydration reaction between -Si-OH groups present on the PDMS surface.34 The top PDMS substrate sandwiched between the top and bottom CVD-Gr electrodes formed capacitive pressure sensors. Note that only graphene derivatives such as CVD-Gr, GO, and rGO were utilized to fabricate the multimodal sensing matrix (Figure 1b), thereby avoiding the use of several distinct materials. The simple fabrication process, which included lamination and degassing steps, permitted the facile integration of a variety of sensors at high yield and low cost. An equivalent circuit diagram of the multifunctional sensors matrix is displayed in Figure 1c. The matrix consisted of three different sensors: a GO-based impedance humidity sensor (red) on the top layer, an rGO-based resistive thermal sensor (blue) on the bottom layer, and a PDMS-based capacitive pressure sensor (green) sandwiched between the top (black line) and bottom (gray line) CVD-Gr electrodes. The resistive sensors were tested using a DC input, whereas the impedance and capacitive sensors were tested using an AC input. In the multimodal E-skin sensor matrix, it was crucial to distinguish the specific output signals from each sensor simultaneously (discussed further below). The good matrix transparency and excellent mechanical properties of the graphene derivatives and PDMS-enabled conformal contact between the matrix and human skin, with a transmittance exceeding 90% over the range 400–1000 nm, as shown in Figure 1d. The sensing performance of each sensor in the matrix was characterized. Figure 2a plots the sensing properties of the GO-based humidity sensor. The variation in the GO capacitance was collected at a specific input frequency of 10 MHz. As the relative humidity (RH) was increased from 20% to 90%, the capacitance increased from 0.15 to 4.27 pF because the adsorbed water molecules increased the capacitance of GO. Two distinct regimes were present in the curves. Under a low RH environment (RH less than 60%), water molecules were adsorbed onto the GO surface through double hydrogen bonding. In this regime, the hopping of protons between adjacent hydroxyl groups increased the leak conductivity in the film, which enhanced the capacitance of the GO. As the RH was increased above 60%, a larger number of water molecules adsorbed onto the GO surface and penetrated the GO films. These water molecules facilitated the hydrolysis of various functional groups, including carboxyl, epoxy, and hydroxyl groups, on the GO. These ionic species dramatically enhanced the ionic conductivity and sharply increased the capacitance.35, 36 The impedance spectrum obtained from the GO-based humidity sensor could be modeled by an electrical equivalent circuit that included a single charge transfer resistance (Rct) value and two constant phase elements, CPE1 and CPE2, as shown in Figure S2a in the Supporting Information. The impedance of a constant phase element (ZCPE) is defined as ZCPE = Q–1(iω)–n (0 ≤ n ≤ 1), where Q is a real parameter, i is the imaginary unit, ω is the frequency, and n is a real parameter, the value of which can vary from 0 (pure resistor) to 1 (pure capacitor).29 The spectrum fit well to the proposed equivalent circuit across the entire frequency range (Figures S2b and S2c, Supporting Information), and the extracted fitting parameters Rct, n1, and n2 were consistent with those obtained from previous GO humidity sensors. Figure 2b plots the real-time humidity sensing properties of the device at different RHs of 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 90%. The capacitance of GO increased gradually to higher values under each RH condition and then returned to the initial value after the RH was recovered to ambient humidity. The stable signal saturation behavior was monitored at three different RHs (40%, 60%, and 75%) as shown in Figure S3 in the Supporting Information, which is consistent with previous reports related with the GO humidity sensors.37, 38 In addition, the delamination issue of the GO layers from the channel (Figure S4, Supporting Information) should be addressed because the GO was exposed to the outside environment. Figure 2c plots the sensing properties of the rGO-based thermal sensor. A DC voltage of 1 V was applied between the two CVD-Gr electrodes. The resistance of rGO decreased linearly from 0.62 to 0.28 MΩ as the temperature increased from 0 to 100 °C. The temperature dependence of the rGO conductance (G) was examined, and a plot of G versus T–1/3 was fit numerically (Figure S5, Supporting Information). The experimental data fit well over the entire temperature range, suggesting that charge transport in the rGO multilayer films was governed by a 3D variable range hopping (VRH) model supplemented with parallel quantum tunneling.39, 40 In this model, the temperature-dependent conductance of the rGO film could be described as G = Gh·exp(–H/T1/3)+Gt, where H is a hopping parameter, Gh·exp(–H/T1/3) represents the hopping contribution, and Gt represents the quantum tunneling contribution. High temperatures facilitated thermally activated charge hopping among the localized states, which enhanced the electrical conductance of the film.39, 40 Figure 2d shows the real-time measurements of the resistance of the rGO sensor as the temperature was increased and then held at four different temperatures (30, 60, 80, and 100 °C) for several minutes. The output resistance of rGO decreased gradually and was maintained at each value. As the temperature decreased to 0 °C, the rGO resistance returned to its initial value. The sensing properties of the GO and rGO devices depended on the amount of GO or rGO deposited onto the channel (Figure S6, Supporting Information) and should be addressed through further systematic studies. These results suggested that both GO and rGO could be used as excellent sensing materials for humidity and thermal sensors, respectively. The sensing properties of the PDMS-based pressure and strain sensors prepared with the CVD-Gr/PDMS/CVD-Gr structure were characterized. A custom pressure gauge comprising a plastic pole terminated with a square-shaped glass unit (contact area = 1 mm2) was used to apply pressures ranging from 0 to 450 kPa onto the device. PDMS layers with three different thicknesses (3, 5, and 10 μm) were tested, as shown in Figure S7 in the Supporting Information. Although the 10 μm thick PDMS layer exhibited the highest sensitivity, it did not form conformal contact with human skin. The trade-off between the contact properties with human skin and the sensing performance was optimized, and a 5 μm thick PDMS layer was selected. Figure 2e plots the capacitance as a function of the pressures applied to the capacitive PDMS pressure sensor. The curve exhibited two distinct regimes. As the applied pressure dipped below 10 kPa, the capacitance increased from 7.32 to 7.52 pF in a steep slope because the initially high pressure easily deformed the PDMS layer. Under high pressures exceeding 10 kPa, however, the slope decreased due to the reduced deformation space available to the compressed PDMS layer. The sensitivity of the PDMS pressure sensor, defined as (ΔC/C0)/P, was 0.002 kPa−1 (Figure S8, Supporting Information). Figure 2f plots the real-time measured capacitance values as a function of pressure. Application of five different pressures: 2, 4, 20, 100, and 200 kPa, resulted in immediate capacitance responses over a short response time of <0.2 s. The minimum detectable pressure was actually lower than 0.5 kPa, but could not be displayed due to the detection limitation of our pressure gauge. Apart from its pressure sensing capabilities, the PDMS pressure sensor also detected bending strain, as shown in Figure S9 in the Supporting Information. The durability bending test applied over 2000 cycles confirmed that our lamination and degassing processes were useful for preparing matrix-bound capacitive PDMS pressure sensors (Figure S10, Supporting Information). A piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] layer could be inserted between the two CVD-Gr electrodes in place of the PDMS layer for both pressure and strain sensing (Figure S11, Supporting Information).41, 42 Notably, all sensing materials in the matrix, including GO, rGO, and the sandwiched PDMS, were utilized as obtained. A higher sensitivity may potentially be achieved from the E-skin by further optimizing these materials. Stretchability test was also conducted on the E-skin matrix (Figure S12, Supporting Information). The sensing properties of each sensor were monitored during stretching cycles. The stretching strain of 3% was applied and released repeatedly to the matrix in the direction parallel with the sensing channel. Note that the sensing performances of each sensor were invariant even after 500 cycles. The good stretchability of the E-skin was attributed to the mechanical properties of the graphene derivatives used in the sensor matrix. The integration of all three sensors into a matrix required that each sensor provide output responses to a specific stimulus without displaying sensitivity to other stimuli. The simplex sensing performance of the GO-based humidity sensor was tested under three stimuli: temperature, humidity, and pressure, as shown in Figure 3a. The GO capacitance responded only to the humidity and not to the temperature and pressure. A slight increase in the GO capacitance above 80 °C was observed, but this change was much smaller than the response arising from a humidity change. The resistance of the rGO-based thermal sensor only changed with the temperature (Figure 3b). The rGO resistance decreased linearly with temperature, but no obvious variations were observed under varying pressures. The top PDMS substrate in the sensors matrix was laminated onto the bottom PDMS substrate bearing the rGO-based thermal sensor array; thus, the thermal sensors were passivated by the top 5 μm thick PDMS layer. This lamination process effectively protected the rGO that interacted with external water molecules (humidity), thereby reducing the humidity sensitivity of rGO.43 The pressure detection properties of the PDMS-based pressure sensor under different environmental conditions were tested at different temperatures and RHs (Figure 3c,d). The left panel in Figure 3c shows the real-time pressure sensing measurements conducted at different temperatures. As the temperature increased from 22 to 90 °C, the capacitance decreased from 7.3 to 5.7 pF because the thickness of the PDMS layer increased due to the thermal expansion of the PDMS;44 however, the corresponding pressure sensing properties at each temperature were not significantly affected. As shown in the right panel of Figure 3c, the absolute values of the capacitance (the difference between the capacitance values measured in the presence or absence of the applied pressures) were similar at different temperatures (indicated by the blue arrows). Similar pressure tests were conducted under different humidity conditions (Figure 3d). As RH was increased from 30% to 80%, the capacitance of the PDMS layer increased from 7.3 to 8.4 pF. This increase was attributed to the fact that higher numbers of water molecules were adsorbed onto the PDMS surface at higher RH to increase the capacitance of the PDMS layer.45, 46 The pressure sensing properties were less affected by the RH (blue arrows in the right panel of Figure 3d). Consequently, the pressures applied to the pressure sensor under different environments could be detected by measuring the signal variations. The ability of the sensors to mimic the multifunctionality of human skin was assessed by measuring the output signals of each sensor in our multifunctional sensor matrix induced by external stimuli. The single signal detection capabilities of our impedance analyzer permitted the simultaneous monitoring of two different output signals from the pressure and thermal sensors. The two output signals from the humidity and thermal sensors could also be monitored simultaneously under similar external stimuli. These two groups of measured output signals were analyzed in a single graph. Figure 4a–c plot the output signals collected from the three sensors under three different stimuli (hot wind blowing, finger and The hot wind on the matrix dramatically decreased the rGO resistance (blue curve in Figure but did not variations in the capacitance values of both the GO and The finger stimulus resulted in a change in the output signals of all three sensors (Figure Under the PDMS capacitance decreased curve in Figure This capacitance change the capacitance increase observed with the pressure applied using the plastic The was and to by the which decreased the The GO capacitance increased of from the finger curve in Figure the same the rGO resistance increased as the channel temperature increased to the human temperature (blue curve in Figure The temperature sensing response was to the other sensor responses due to the heat transfer from the the responses to human detected by our sensor matrix are in Figure The GO capacitance values were sensitive to the humidity induced by curve in Figure The temperature also increased as by the resistance of the rGO sensor (blue curve in Figure obvious in the pressure were These results that different output signals extracted from the corresponding sensors under external stimuli could be which is for multifunctional human skin. The E-skin sensor matrix × 6 fabricated using the in Figure 1a was tested for its ability to human The pressure, temperature, and humidity were monitored as a finger was at two of the matrix (Figure As shown in Figure the output sensing signals from different sensors were collected and to the corresponding 2D color The shown in Figure the of the three sensors under finger The capacitance and resistance sensitivity were defined as and respectively. The bottom color the of the corresponding temperature humidity and pressure (green) during the finger as from the in the In we demonstrated the fabrication of an all-graphene transparent multifunctional E-skin matrix. CVD-Gr was used as the electrodes in the matrix, and GO and rGO were as the sensing materials. A simple lamination process was used to the humidity, temperature, and pressure sensors into a single Each sensor was sensitive to its external stimulus but was not affected by the other two stimuli. all sensors simultaneously and on different The of the temperature, humidity, and pressure during finger were in 2D color This a facile fabrication process using a of graphene derivatives to a transparent E-skin device without using E-skin fabrication processes. sensors and may be integrated into this simple lamination process to in remote applications in the The use of several graphene derivatives as the main in the E-skin may also the use of Graphene oxide was prepared from using a Hummers 10 and were in a 30 were over 1 was for 2 in an water the been for at temperature, water were and the solution was for 10 min in an water of were then and the was for 2 at The was and to the oxide The oxide was then into GO in water by for 1 The GO was reduced in solution by the dispersion of the GO with to was then to the GO solution to a concentration of followed by at 100 °C for graphene electrodes were on a × 10 through The was into a and at °C under an at low pressures for 1 5 was introduced to graphene under a 30 the was and the was to temperature under the The graphene obtained on the was onto a PDMS substrate using and processes. The PDMS solution comprising a and a was onto the and then the was into a chamber to remove bubbles in the PDMS layer by the PDMS layer on the glass was at and then at °C for 1 The PDMS surface was treated with O2 plasma to form a hydrophilic surface. The CVD-grown graphene was onto the PDMS using a and then patterned using and subsequent The sensing were formed by rGO or GO onto the channel through a were then laminated with the of an The degassing process was conducted in the vacuum chamber over 30 and the fabricated matrix was to achieve conformal The properties of the thermal sensing devices were measured using and with a temperature impedance properties were measured using a with a humidity The pressure sensing properties were measured using an with a gauge The were deposited onto the of each CVD-graphene electrode for electrical with the the sensing signals were collected through the to the and to this This was by a from the for under the and and of the of by the of and As a to our and this by the materials are and may be for but are not or arising from than should be addressed to the The is not for the or of by the than should be to the corresponding for the

In the original version of this manuscript, an error was introduced on pp352. '2.7nb:1.6nb' has been corrected to '2.4nb:1.3nb' in the current online and printed version. doi:10.1093/ptep/ptz106.

Metal-organic polyhedra and frameworks (MOPs and MOFs) were prepared by linking square units M2(CO2)4 (M = Cu and Zn) with a variety of organic linkers designed to control the dimensionality (periodicity) and topology of the resulting structures. We describe the preparation, characterization, and crystal structures of 5 new MOPs and 11 new MOFs (termed MOP-14, -15, -17, -23, -24 and MOF-114, -115, -116, -117, -118, -119, -222, -601, -602, -603, -604) and show how their structures are related to the shape and functionality of the building blocks. The gas uptake behaviors of MOP-23 and MOF-601 to -603 are also presented as evidence that these structures have permanent porosity and rigid architectures.

is one of the most universally used herbal medicines in Asian and Western countries. Most of the biological activities of ginseng are derived from its main constituents, ginsenosides. Interestingly, a number of studies have reported that ginsenosides and their metabolites/derivatives-including ginsenoside (G)-Rb1, compound K, G-Rb2, G-Rd, G-Re, G-Rg1, G-Rg3, G-Rg5, G-Rh1, G-Rh2, and G-Rp1-exert anti-inflammatory activities in inflammatory responses by suppressing the production of proinflammatory cytokines and regulating the activities of inflammatory signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor-κB and activator protein-1. This review discusses recent studies regarding molecular mechanisms by which ginsenosides play critical roles in inflammatory responses and diseases, and provides evidence showing their potential to prevent and treat inflammatory diseases.

High quality MOF-5 crystals of 5-25 mum in size were prepared for the first time using a sonochemical method in substantially reduced synthesis time (ca. 30 min) compared with conventional solvothermal synthesis (24 h).

We address the issue of how to provide basic quality of service (QoS) in optical burst-switched WDM networks with limited fiber delay lines (FDLs). Unlike existing buffer-based QoS schemes, the novel offset-time-based QoS scheme we study in this paper does not mandate any buffer for traffic isolation, but nevertheless can take advantage of FDLs to improve the QoS. This makes the proposed QoS scheme suitable for the next generation optical Internet. The offset times required for class isolation when making wavelength and FDL reservations are quantified, and the upper and lower bounds on the burst loss probability are analyzed. Simulations are also conducted to evaluate the QoS performance in terms of burst loss probability and queuing delay. We show that with limited FDLs, the offset-time-based QoS scheme can be very efficient in supporting basic QoS.

IMPORTANCE: The causal direction and magnitude of the association between telomere length and incidence of cancer and non-neoplastic diseases is uncertain owing to the susceptibility of observational studies to confounding and reverse causation. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a Mendelian randomization study, using germline genetic variants as instrumental variables, to appraise the causal relevance of telomere length for risk of cancer and non-neoplastic diseases. DATA SOURCES: Genomewide association studies (GWAS) published up to January 15, 2015. STUDY SELECTION: GWAS of noncommunicable diseases that assayed germline genetic variation and did not select cohort or control participants on the basis of preexisting diseases. Of 163 GWAS of noncommunicable diseases identified, summary data from 103 were available. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Summary association statistics for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are strongly associated with telomere length in the general population. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for disease per standard deviation (SD) higher telomere length due to germline genetic variation. RESULTS: Summary data were available for 35 cancers and 48 non-neoplastic diseases, corresponding to 420 081 cases (median cases, 2526 per disease) and 1 093 105 controls (median, 6789 per disease). Increased telomere length due to germline genetic variation was generally associated with increased risk for site-specific cancers. The strongest associations (ORs [95% CIs] per 1-SD change in genetically increased telomere length) were observed for glioma, 5.27 (3.15-8.81); serous low-malignant-potential ovarian cancer, 4.35 (2.39-7.94); lung adenocarcinoma, 3.19 (2.40-4.22); neuroblastoma, 2.98 (1.92-4.62); bladder cancer, 2.19 (1.32-3.66); melanoma, 1.87 (1.55-2.26); testicular cancer, 1.76 (1.02-3.04); kidney cancer, 1.55 (1.08-2.23); and endometrial cancer, 1.31 (1.07-1.61). Associations were stronger for rarer cancers and at tissue sites with lower rates of stem cell division. There was generally little evidence of association between genetically increased telomere length and risk of psychiatric, autoimmune, inflammatory, diabetic, and other non-neoplastic diseases, except for coronary heart disease (OR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.67-0.90]), abdominal aortic aneurysm (OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.49-0.81]), celiac disease (OR, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.28-0.61]) and interstitial lung disease (OR, 0.09 [95% CI, 0.05-0.15]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: It is likely that longer telomeres increase risk for several cancers but reduce risk for some non-neoplastic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.

The death domain (DD) superfamily comprising the death domain (DD) subfamily, the death effector domain (DED) subfamily, the caspase recruitment domain (CARD) subfamily, and the pyrin domain (PYD) subfamily is one of the largest domain superfamilies. By mediating homotypic interactions within each domain subfamily, these proteins play important roles in the assembly and activation of apoptotic and inflammatory complexes. In this chapter, we review the molecular complexes assembled by these proteins, the structural and biochemical features of these domains, and the molecular interactions mediated by them. By analyzing the potential molecular basis for the function of these domains, we hope to provide a comprehensive understanding of the function, structure, interaction, and evolution of this important family of domains.

We investigated the electronic structures of the 5d Ruddlesden-Popper series Sr n+1Ir nO3n+1 (n=1, 2, and infinity) using optical spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. As 5d orbitals are spatially more extended than 3d or 4d orbitals, it has been widely accepted that correlation effects are minimal in 5d compounds. However, we observed a Mott insulator-metal transition with a change of bandwidth as we increased n. In addition, the artificially synthesized perovskite SrIrO3 showed a very large mass enhancement of about 6, indicating that it was in a correlated metallic state.

We report the first measurement of the $\ensuremath{\tau}$ lepton polarization ${P}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}({D}^{*})$ in the decay $\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{*}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ as well as a new measurement of the ratio of the branching fractions $R({D}^{*})=\mathcal{B}(\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{*}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}})/\mathcal{B}(\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{*}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}})$, where ${\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ denotes an electron or a muon, and the $\ensuremath{\tau}$ is reconstructed in the modes ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$. We use the full data sample of $772\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1{0}^{6}\text{ }\text{ }B\overline{B}$ pairs recorded with the Belle detector at the KEKB electron-positron collider. Our results, ${P}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}({D}^{*})=\ensuremath{-}0.38\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.51{(\text{stat})}_{\ensuremath{-}0.16}^{+0.21}(\text{syst})$ and $R({D}^{*})=0.270\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.035{(\text{stat})}_{\ensuremath{-}0.025}^{+0.028}(\text{syst})$, are consistent with the theoretical predictions of the standard model.

We report on nanoscale strain gradients in ferroelectric HoMnO(3) epitaxial thin films, resulting in a giant flexoelectric effect. Using grazing-incidence in-plane x-ray diffraction, we measured strain gradients in the films, which were 6 or 7 orders of magnitude larger than typical values reported for bulk oxides. The combination of transmission electron microscopy, electrical measurements, and electrostatic calculations showed that flexoelectricity provides a means of tuning the physical properties of ferroelectric epitaxial thin films, such as domain configurations and hysteresis curves.