We previously demonstrated that perceptual learning of Vernier discrimination, when paired with orientation learning at the same retinal location, can transfer completely to untrained locations (Wang, Zhang, Klein, Levi, & Yu, 2014; Zhang, Wang, Klein, Levi, & Yu, 2011). However, Hung and Seitz (2014) reported that the transfer is possible only when Vernier is trained with short staircases, but not with very long staircases. Here we ran two experiments to examine Hung and Seitz's conclusions. The first experiment confirmed the transfer effects with short-staircase Vernier training in both our study and Hung and Seitz's. The second experiment revealed that long-staircase training only produced very fast learning at the beginning of the pretraining session, but with no further learning afterward. Moreover, the learning and transfer effects differed insignificantly with a small effect size, making it difficult to support Hung and Seitz's claim that learning with long-staircase training cannot transfer to an untrained retinal location.
2D metallic TaS2 is acting as an ideal platform for exploring fundamental physical issues (superconductivity, charge‐density wave, etc.) and for engineering novel applications in energy‐related fields. The batch synthesis of high‐quality TaS2 nanosheets with a specific phase is crucial for such issues. Herein, the successful synthesis of novel vertically oriented 1T‐TaS2 nanosheets on nanoporous gold substrates is reported, via a facile chemical vapor deposition route. By virtue of the abundant edge sites and excellent electrical transport property, such vertical 1T‐TaS2 is employed as high‐efficiency electrocatalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction, featured with rather low Tafel slopes ≈67–82 mV dec−1 and an ultrahigh exchange current density ≈67.61 µA cm−2. The influence of phase states of 1T‐ and 2H‐TaS2 on the catalytic activity is also discussed with the combination of density functional theory calculations. This work hereby provides fundamental insights into the controllable syntheses and electrocatalytic applications of vertical 1T‐TaS2 nanosheets achieved through the substrate engineering. Vertically oriented 1T‐TaS2 nanosheets are first synthesized on nanoporous gold (NPG) substrates, via the chemical vapor deposition route. By virtue of the abundant edge sites and excellent electrical transport property, such vertical 1T‐TaS2/NPG are employed as high‐efficiency electrocatalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The influence of the phase states of TaS2 on the catalytic activity is also explored according to theoretical calculations.
Light-mediated transformations with CO2 have recently attracted great attention, with the focus on CO2 incorporation into C–C double and triple bonds, organohalides and amines. Herein is demonstrated visible light -mediated umpolung imine reactivity capable of engaging CO2 to afford α-amino acid derivatives. By employing benzophenone ketimine derivatives, CO2 fixation by hydrocarboxylation of C=N double bonds is achieved. Good to excellent yields of a broad range of α,α–disubstituted α-amino acid derivatives are obtained under mild conditions (rt, atmospheric pressure of CO2, visible light). A procedure that avoids tedious chromatographic purification and uses sustainable sunlight is developed to highlight the simplicity of this method.
Background: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency have been established to be strongly associated with increased overall mortality and deaths from specific aging-related diseases. Recently, an epigenetic "mortality risk score" (MS) based on whole blood DNA methylation at the 10 most prominent mortality-related cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites has also been found to be highly related to all-cause mortality. This study aimed to explore whether vitamin D status, defined by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, is associated with the MS and to what extent both indicators are individually and jointly capable of predicting all-cause mortality in a general population sample of older adults. Results: The MS was derived from the blood DNA methylation profiles measured by Illumina Human Methylation 450K Beadchip, and serum 25(OH)D concentration was measured among 1467 participants aged 50-75 of the German ESTHER cohort study. There was no association between vitamin D status and the MS at baseline, but both metrics were prominently and independently associated with all-cause mortality during a median follow-up of 15.2 years. The combination of both indicators showed the potential to be a particularly strong prognostic index for all-cause mortality. Participants with vitamin D deficiency (< 30 nmol/L) and high MS (> 5 CpG sites with aberrant methylation) had almost sixfold mortality (hazard ratio 5.79, 95% CI 3.06-10.94) compared with participants with sufficient vitamin D (>/= 50 nmol/L) and a low MS (0-1 CpG site with aberrant methylation). Conclusions: This study suggests that vitamin D and the MS are strong independent predictors of all-cause mortality in older adults.
Background: The meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies identified several waist-hip ratio (WHR) related loci in individuals of European ancestry. Since the pattern of fat distribution and the relationship between fat distribution and glucose metabolism disturbance in Chinese are different from those in Europeans, the present study aimed to explore the individual and cumulative effects of WHR-related loci on glycemic phenotypes in Chinese children. Methods: A total of 2030 children were recruited from two independent studies. Eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected and genotyped using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Logistic regression and linear regression model were used to examine the association of 11 SNPs and genetic risk score (GRS) with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), respectively. Results: Three SNPs (rs6795735, rs984222 and rs1011731) were nominally associated with IFG (all P < 0.05). Each WHR-increasing (C) allele of rs6795735 (ADAMTS9) was associated with a 40.1% increased risk of IFG (OR = 1.401, 95% CI = 1.131-1.735, P = 0.002), which remained significant after Bonferroni correction. We observed no association of both weighted and unweighted GRS with FPG and IFG (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: We identified individual effects of rs6795735 (ADAMTS9), rs984222 (TBX15-WARS2), and rs1011731 (DNM3-PIGC) on glycemic phenotypes in Chinese children for the first time. The study suggests that genetic predisposition to central obesity is associated with impaired fasting glucose, providing more evidence for the pathogenesis of diabetes.