This heteroatom introduction strategy in constructing highly rigid π-conjugated materials could be applicable to other systems, representing a new concept advance to design novel conjugated small molecules and polymers for high-performance optoelectronic applications.We have systematically investigated the magnetization reversal characteristics and magnetoresistance of continuous and nanoporous [Co/Pd]5-IrMn multilayered thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at different temperatures (4-300 K). For their nanostructuring, porosity was induced by means of deposition onto templates of anodized titania with small (∼30 nm in diameter) homogeneously distributed pores. The magnetization reversal and magnetoresistance of the porous films were found to be closely related to the splitting of the ferromagnetic material into regions with different magnetic properties, in correlation with the complex morphology of the porous system. Independent magnetization reversal is detected for these regions, and is accompanied by its strong impact on the magnetic order in the capping IrMn layer. Electron-magnon scattering is found to be a dominant mechanism of magnetoresistance, determining its almost linear field dependence in a high magnetic field and contributing to its magnetoresistance behavior, similar to magnetization reversal, in a low magnetic field. Partial rotation of IrMn magnetic moments, consistent with the magnetization reversal of the ferromagnet, is proposed as an explanation for the two-state resistance behavior observed in switching between high-resistive and low-resistive values at the magnetization reversal of the porous system studied.Through a rational construction of an RNA toehold switch sensor, the glucometer-based detection of nucleic acids was innovatively simplified into a completely homogeneous and label-free process. Compared with traditional strategies that rely on multiple operations such as chemical conjugation and bead separation, this new strategy is more robust, user-friendly, reagent-saving, and reproducible, and can be universally adapted for use on extensive target species, e.g. herein, the real-world pathogen genes.Quantum interference (QI) effects have recently attracted increased interest in electron transport studies of single molecular junctions. Although QI effects have been explained in a variety of molecular devices by different chemical rules, such as orbital-based prediction, the graphical scheme, and cross-conjugated states, recently, experimental and theoretical reports have claimed to have reached a better understanding of QI features. In particular, azulene molecule derivatives present an insightful case study where these simple rules of thumb can fail. Here, we explore the validity of graphical rules and the effects of closed loops in the azulene molecular structure. The electron transport behavior through an azulene core with different moieties (thiol, ethynyl-thiol, phenyl-thiol, and ethynyl-phenyl-thiol) was investigated with first-principles calculations combined with the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) technique. The transmission spectra at zero bias show that the graphical rules are not sufficient to predict and explain the destructive QI effect in these azulene derivatives. Instead, closed-loop diagrams should be taken into account to properly describe the transport properties in those systems, but the presence of a closed-loop does not necessarily lead to the absence of destructive QI in the transmission spectrum. Our results indicate that the destructive QI effect is found when the azulene core is coupled at the 4,7Az-, 5,7Az- and 1,3Az-positions with ethynyl-phenyl-thiol moieties, while no obvious destructive QI effect is observed in the other azulene derivatives, either with the thiol, ethynyl-thiol or phenyl-thiol anchoring groups. We also demonstrated that the I-V curves depend more strongly on anchoring groups than the coupling position.The cochlea, the auditory part of the inner ear, is a spiral-shaped organ with large morphological variability. An individualized assessment of its shape is essential for clinical applications related to tonotopy and cochlear implantation. To unambiguously reference morphological parameters, reliable recognition of the cochlear modiolar axis in computed tomography (CT) images is required. The conventional method introduces measurement uncertainties, as it is based on manually selected and difficult to identify landmarks.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/jte-013.html  Herein, we present an algorithm for robust modiolar axis detection in clinical CT images. We define the modiolar axis as the rotation component of the kinematic spiral motion inherent in the cochlear shape. For surface fitting, we use a compact shape representation in a 7-dimensional kinematic parameter space based on extended Plücker coordinates. It is the first time such a kinematic representation is used for shape analysis in medical images. Robust surface fitting is achieved with an adapted approximate maximum likelihood method assuming a Student-t distribution, enabling axis detection even in partially available surface data. We verify the algorithm performance on a synthetic data set with cochlear surface subsets. In addition, we perform an experimental study with four experts in 23 human cochlea CT data sets to compare the automated detection with the manually found axes. Axes found from co-registered high resolution μCT scans are used for reference. Our experiments show that the algorithm reduces the alignment error providing more reliable modiolar axis detection for clinical and research applications.Food systems are increasingly globalized and interdependent and diets around the world are changing. Characterising national food supplies and how they have changed can inform food policies that ensure national food security, support access to healthy diets and enhance environmental sustainability. Here, we analysed data for 171 countries on availability of 18 food groups from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to identify and track multi-dimensional food supply patterns from 1961 to 2013. Four predominant food group combinations were identified that explained almost 90% of cross-country variance in food supply animal source and sugar; vegetable; starchy root and fruit; and seafood and oilcrops. South Korea, China and Taiwan experienced the largest changes in food supply over the past five decades, with animal source foods and sugar, vegetables, and seafood and oilcrops all becoming more abundant components of food supply. In contrast, in many Western countries, the supply of animal source foods and sugar declined.