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Nanotransfer printing (nTP) is one of the most promising nanopatterning methods given that it can be used to produce nano-to-micro patterns effectively with functionalities for electronic device applications. However, the nTP process is hindered by several critical obstacles, such as sub-20 nm mold technology, reliable large-area replication, and uniform transfer-printing of functional materials. Here, for the first time, a dual nanopatterning process is demonstrated that creates periodic sub-20 nm structures on the eight-inch wafer by the transfer-printing of patterned ultra-thin (<50 nm) block copolymer (BCP) film onto desired substrates. This study shows how to transfer self-assembled BCP patterns from the Si mold onto rigid and/or flexible substrates through a nanopatterning method of thermally assisted nTP (T-nTP) and directed self-assembly (DSA) of Si-containing BCPs. In particular, the successful microscale patternization of well-ordered sub-20 nm SiOx patterns is systematically presented by controlling the self-assembly conditions of BCP and printing temperature. In addition, various complex pattern geometries of nano-in-micro structures are displayed over a large patterning area by T-nTP, such as angular line, wave line, ring, dot-in-hole, and dot-in-honeycomb structures. This advanced BCP-replicated nanopatterning technology is expected to be widely applicable to nanofabrication of nano-to-micro electronic devices with complex circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, the transition elements, including Hafnium (Hf), have become the focus of researchers′ attention, as when they combine with chalcogens and halides, they turn into semiconductors with distinct energy gaps. Moreover, chalcogens and halides are desirable in scientific research when forming layers or membranes. The Janus monolayer is unique two‐faced material composed of two different chemical species on opposite sides of a single layer. Herein, we use first‐principles simulations to thoroughly investigate the electrical and optical properties of this material. Our calculations reveal that the Bromochlorohafnium (HfClBr) Janus monolayer is an indirect semiconductor at equilibrium, with an energy gap of 0.928 eV and changing from 0.532 eV to 1.233 eV after applying the biaxial strain, as determined by the Perdew‐Burke‐Ernzerhof (PBE) method. The results indicate that the Janus HfClBr monolayer has a competitive advantage over other materials for use in solar cells and energy storage devices due to its unique optical and electrical characteristics. Furthermore, our analysis showed that the optical and electrical characteristics of the Janus HfClBr monolayer are significantly impacted by biaxial strain, with the ability to absorb light in both the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions. Additionally, the first optical gap of the Janus HfClBr monolayer is found to be shiftable under the biaxial strain, suggesting potential applications in nano‐electronics, particularly in the field of solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indole is a significant structural moiety and functionalization of the C−H bond in indole‐containing molecules expands their chemical space, and modifies their properties and/or activities. Indole prenyltransferases (IPTs) catalyze the direct regiospecific installation of prenyl moieties on indole‐derived compounds. IPTs have shown relaxed substrate flexibility enabling them to be used as tools for indole functionalization. However, the mechanism by which certain IPTs target a specific carbon position is not fully understood. Herein, we use structure‐guided site‐directed mutagenesis, in vitro enzymatic reactions, kinetics and structural‐elucidation of analogs to verify the key catalytic residues that control the regiospecificity of all characterized regiospecific C6 IPTs. The presented results also demonstrate that substitution of PriB_His312 to Tyr leads to the synthesis of analogs prenylated at different positions than C6. This work contributes to understanding of how certain IPTs can access a challenging position in indole‐derived compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present novel ultra large size organic light emitting diode (OLED) display technologies with high image quality for premium televisions (TVs) using an advanced coplanar oxide thin film transistor (TFT) backplane, microlens array (MLA)-based OLED, small size gate driver in panel for narrow bezel, and pixel charging enhancement method with external compensation. Using these technologies, we improved the luminance efficiency about 20% and reduced the integrated gate driver design area to 40%. We have achieved the life time of the gate driver in panel longer than 100,000 h in reliability test. The pixel charging ratio is more than 80% in all gray levels. Using the developed OLED display, we have successfully developed up to ultra large size 88-in. 8K and 97-in. 4K OLED TVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a 6Gb/s receiver for 8K displays and beyond. In the proposed receiver, a novel channel coding with 1.96% overhead is presented to guarantee minimum run-length in the clock embedded interface. It can also reduce bandwidth for effective data transmission compared to 9b/10b coding that requires 11.11% overhead. Furthermore, we present an on-chip eye margin tester that can measure the internal timing margin of receiver with only 1% area overhead. The prototype ICs are implemented using 0.18-µm HVCMOS process and evaluated in an 8K 65-in. panel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:Various dosimeters have been proposed for skin dosimetry in electron radiotherapy. However, one main drawback of these skin dosimeters is their lack of flexibility, which could make accurate dose measurements challenging due to air gaps between a curved patient surface and dosimeter.Therefore,the purpose of this study is to suggest a novel flexible skin dosimeter based on a thin-film copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cell, and to evaluate its dosimetric characteristics. Methods: The CIGS solar cell dosimeter consisted of (a) a customized thinfilm CIGS solar cell and (b) a data acquisition (DAQ) system. The CIGS solar cell with a thickness of 0.33 mm was customized to a size of 10 × 10 mm2. This customized solar cell plays a role in converting therapeutic electron radiation into electrical signals. The DAQ system was composed of a voltage amplifier with a gain of 1000, a voltage input module, a DAQ chassis, and an in-house software. This system converted the electrical analog signals (from solar cell) to digital signals with a sampling rate of ≤50 kHz and then quantified/visualized the digital signals in real time. We quantified the linearity/ sampling rate effect/dose rate dependence/energy dependence/field size output factor/reproducibility/curvature/bending recoverability/angular dependence of the CIGS solar cell dosimeter in therapeutic electron beams.To evaluate clinical feasibility, we measured the skin point doses by attaching the CIGS solar cell to an anthropomorphic phantom surface (for forehead, mouth, and thorax). The CIGS-measured doses were compared with calculated doses (by treatment planning system) and measured doses (by optically stimulated luminescent dosimeter). Results: The normalized signals of the solar cell dosimeter increased linearly as the delivered dose increased. The gradient of the linearly fitted line was 1.00 with an R-square of 0.9999. The sampling rates (2, 10, and 50 kHz) of the solar cell dosimeter showed good performance even at low doses (<50 cGy). The solar cell dosimeter exhibited dose rate independence within 1% and energy independence within 3% error margins. The signals of the solar cell dosimeter were similar (<1%) when penetrating the same side of the CIGS cell regardless of the rotation angle of the solar cell. The field size output factor measured by the solar cell dosimeter was comparable to that measured by the ion chamber. The solar cell signals were similar between the baseline (week 1) and the last time point (week 4). Our detector showed curvature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-rich layered LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (LNCM) with Ni content over >90% is considered as a promising lithium ion battery (LIB) cathode, attributed by its low cost and high practical capacity. However, Ni-rich LNCM inevitably suffers rapid capacity fading at a high state of charge due to the mechanochemical breakdown; in particular, the microcrack formation has been regarded as one of the main culprits for Ni-rich layered cathode failure. To address these issues, Ni-rich layered cathodes with a textured microstructure are developed by phosphorous and boron doping. Attributed by the textured morphology, both phosphorous- and boron-doped cathodes suppress microcrack formation and show enhanced cycle stability compared to the undoped cathode. However, there exists a meaningful capacity retention difference between the doped cathodes. By adapting the various analysis techniques, it is shown that the boron-doped Ni-rich layered cathode displays better cycle stability not only by its ability to suppress microcracks during cycling but also by its primary particle morphology that is reluctant to oxygen evolution. The present work reveals that not only restraint of particle cracks but also suppression of oxygen release by developing the oxygen stable facets is important for further improvements in state-of-the-art Li ion battery Ni-rich layered cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern inelastic X-ray spectrometers employ curved, bent and diced analyzers to capture sufficiently large solid angles of radially emitted scattered radiation emanating from the sample. Fabricating these intricate analyzers, especially when a high energy resolution of a few millielectronvolts is required, is very time-consuming, expensive and often a hit-or-miss affair. A novel fabrication technique is introduced, utilizing a concave-spherical, microporous aluminium base to hold an assembly of a thin glass substrate with a diced crystal wafer bonded to it. Under uniform vacuum forces, the glass substrate is drawn into the aluminium base, achieving the desired bending radius, while dicing of the diffracting crystal layer prevents bending strain from being imposed on the individual crystal pixels. This technique eliminates the need for permanently bonding the crystal assembly to the concave lens, offering the opportunity for correcting figure errors, avoiding long-term degradation of the permanent bond, and making both lens and crystal reusable. Process and material costs are thus substantially decreased. Two analyzers, Si(844) and Ge(337) with intrinsic resolutions of 14.6 meV and 36.5 meV, respectively, were produced in this fashion and characterized in resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) measurements. The achieved overall energy resolutions for both analyzers were 29.4 meV for Si(844) and 56.6 meV for Ge(337). Although the RIXS technique is veru sensitive to analyzer imperfections, the analyzers were found to be equal, if not superior, in quality to their traditional, permanently bonded counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although microbioa-based therapies have shown putative effects on the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it is not clear howmicrobiota-derivedmetabolites contribute to the prevention of NAFLD. We explored the metabolomic signature of Lactobacillus lactis and Pediococcus pentosaceus in NAFLD mice and its association in NAFLD patients. Methods: We used Western diet-induced NAFLD mice, and L. lactis and P. pentosaceus were administered to animals in the drinking water at a concentration of 109 CFU/g for 8 weeks. NAFLD severity was determined based on liver/body weight, pathology and biochemistry markers. Caecal samples were collected for the metagenomics by 16S rRNA sequencing. Metabolite profiles were obtained fromcaecum, liver and serum. Humanstool samples (healthy control [n = 22] andNAFLD patients [n = 23]) were collected to investigate clinical reproducibility for microbiota-derived metabolites signature and metabolomics biomarker. Results: L. lactis and P. pentosaceus supplementation effectively normalized weight ratio, NAFLD activity score, biochemical markers, cytokines and guttight junction. While faecal microbiota varied according to the different treatments, key metabolic features including short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs) and tryptophan metabolites were analogously restored by both probiotic supplementations. The protective effects of indole compounds were validated with in vitro and in vivo models, including anti-inflammatory effects. The metabolomic signatures were replicated in NAFLD patients, accompanied by the comparable levels of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which was significantly higher (4.3) compared with control (0.6). Besides, the consequent biomarker panel with six stool metabolites (indole, BAs, and SCFAs) showed 0.922 (area under the curve) in the diagnosis of NAFLD. Conclusions: NAFLD progression was robustly associated with metabolic dysregulations in the SCFAs, bile acid and indole compounds, and NAFLD can be accurately diagnosed using the metabolites. L. lactis and P. pentosaceus ameliorate NAFLD progression by modulating gut metagenomic and metabolic environment, particularly tryptophan pathway, of the gut-liver axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) waves in a semicircular plasma filament layer generated by a femtosecond laser were studied in a wide frequency band including radar waves. We have focussed on the influence of plasma parameters and filament arrangement based on the diffraction and superposition theory of EM waves on the transmittance. A numerical simulation model using the current density convolution finite-difference time-domain method was constructed in a semicircularmultilayer filament structure, and the transmission characteristics of spherical EM waves were examined. The simulation results showed that in this semicircular structure, the transmittance was periodically changed at a frequency interval corresponding to the thickness of the filament channel. This phenomenon was more pronounced as the number of the filament layers increased. In the lower band (<30 GHz), there was little change in the transmittance according to layer-to-layer distance, but in the higher band (>30 GHz), it changed irregularly. On the contrary, for the electron number density, it changed regularly in the lower frequency and hardly changed in the higher frequency. When the number of layers was 3 or more, the transmittance became 0 at the centre of the channel, and a discontinuous interference pattern appeared more clearly as the frequency increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a plant disease that causes serious damage to pine trees. PWD occurs when the host plant is infected with pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. In this study, a compound with nematicidal activity was isolated from actinomycetes and its efficacy was investigated in vitro. RESULT: We screened and selected Streptomyces sp. 680560, which had nematicidal activity against B. xylophilus. Based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis, it showed 99.93% similarity with Streptomyces blastmyceticus NRRB-5480T . Furthermore, the active compound was isolated and identified as teleocidin B4. Teleocidin B4 at concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 100 ∼M had low nematicidal activity after 24 and 36 h against adult and stage juveniles (J2) of B. xylophilus, but after 48 h nematicidal activity exceeded 95%. The rate of inhibition of egg hatching for Teleocidin B4 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 ∼M was confirmed to be dose-dependently inhibited after 48 h of treatment. Teleocidin B4 is not only toxic to hatched B. xylophilus, but also affects egg hatching. CONCLUSION: This study was carried out to isolate actinomycete metabolites from pine tree endophytes from various natural environments for control of PWD. A compound with nematicidal activity was isolated from a selected strain and its structure was identified as teleocidin B4. The nematicidal effect of the isolated active substance, teleocidin B4, was confirmed. This is the first report of the effect of teleocidin B4 on B. xylophilus, suggesting its possibility as a PWD control agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objectives were to visualize the incisive canal (IC) remodelling following maximum incisor retraction and to evaluate its impact on canal-invasionassociated apical root resorption. Methods: Pre- and post-treatment CBCT images of 34 adult orthodontic patients (age 18-47 years) with a large amount of maxillary incisor retraction (>4 mm) using temporary anchorage devices (TADs) were retrospectively evaluated. Maxillary regional superimpositions and 3D models of the IC along with central incisors were used to measure the changes in IC dimension, IC invasion by the roots and IC remodelling. In addition, the association of the amount of apical root resorption with the root-IC relationship and IC remodelling were evaluated. Results: IC invasion by the incisor roots following maximum retraction was seen in 53% (18 out of 34) of the cases. IC with larger volume and area showed more invasions compared with those with smaller volume and area (P < .01). The amount of root resorption was significantly higher with IC invasion than without invasion (2.39 mm vs 0.82 mm, P < .0001). IC remodelling following maximum retraction was seen in 24% of the subjects. IC remodelling group demonstrated less apical root resorption than the non-remodelling group (0.98 mm vs 3.27 mm, P < .0001). Conclusion: IC with larger volume and surface area before treatment were more likely to show canal invasion by the incisor roots after maximum retraction. IC invasion resulted in apical root resorption. However, approximately one-fourth of cases showed remodelling of the IC, which reduced the amount of root resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the influence of Cr3+ on yellowish‐green upconversion (UC) emission and the energy transfer (ET) of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in SiO2–ZnO–Na2O–La2O3 (SZNL) zinc silicate glasses under excitation of the 980 nm laser diode (LD). The influence of Cr3+ on enhancing the red UC emission of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in SiO2–ZnO–Na2O–La2O3 zinc silicate glasses under the excitation of 980nm LD was also investigated. The ET processes between Yb3+, Cr3+, and Er3+, together with the combination of Yb3+‐Cr3+‐Er3+, which led to the green UC emission intensity of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in SiO2–ZnO–Na2O–La2O3 zinc silicate glasses bands centered at ~546 nm have been significantly enhanced. By increasing the concentration of Cr3+ from 0 up to 5 mol.%, we can locate the Commission Internationale de l'éclairage (CIE) 1931 (x; y) chromaticity coordinates for UC emissions of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in the central position of the yellowish‐green color region of CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram. Besides, the ET processes between the Yb3+, Cr3+, and Er3+ are also proposed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-harvesting technologies, which can generate electrical energy from various energy sources, such as solar, thermal, and mechanical movement that are commonly found in the local environment, supply permanent and environmentally friendly energy. In addition, related research has been in the spotlight because it provides power by harvesting and converting a naturally occurring energy source without a charging process through external power. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) based on piezoelectric materials have attracted much attention due to their high energy-conversion efficiency, capability for miniaturization, and light weight. Zinc oxide (ZnO), which has a wurtzite crystal structure, is a representative piezoelectric material. The defects that are inevitably present in ZnO nanorods (NRs), however, generate excessive free electrons, which reduce the piezoelectric potential and thus reduce the output characteristics. Herein, ZnO--NiO core--shell structure--based PENGs are designed to enhance their piezoelectric output performance by reducing excess electrons in the ZnO NRs using a p-type semiconducting NiO layer. The thickness and structure of the NiO coated on the ZnO NRs are observed and analyzed by adjusting the molar concentration of solution for the NiO layer coating, and the effects of these on the piezoelectric output are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple yet effective technique for emulating third generation partnership project spatial channel model extended (3GPP SCME) power-delay profiles in a reverberation chamber is investigated. Through use of a conventional vector signal generator and oscilloscope, urban macro- and micro-environments containing several strong reflections are replicated with <4% error. The generation of the input power delay profiles, the measurement set-ups in the reverberation chamber and the emulation optimisation process are described rigorously. In experiment, it is demonstrated that the averaging procedure is essential for acquisition of optimum results in the reverberation chamber. The radiation efficiency and correlation coefficient of a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna are also defined for different emulated multipath channels. The calculated results verify the efficacy of the proposed emulation method for MIMO antenna characterisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxic mechanism of Fumonisin B1 (FB1) in mice colonic region in a time course manner. Herein, after consecutive 4 days of exposure to FBI (2.5 mg/kg bodyweight),we observed disintegration ofmice colon, as evidenced by histopathological analysis. FB1 significantly increased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase activities in serum and plasma, decreased ceramide level, increased sphinganine level, and increased lipid peroxidase level along with the breakdown of the antioxidant system. Further, FB1-induced ER stress caused apoptosis and autophagy activation in mice colon, evidenced by increased expression of IRE1-α, p-JNK,Casp3, and LC3I/II. In addition, we also noticed a reduced protein kinase C expression in mice colon exposed to FB1, suggesting its role in ER stress-induced cell death. Taken together, study suggests both physiologically and biochemically, FB1 toxicity to mice colon induced by oxidative stress-associated apoptosis and autophagy activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alginate beads (ABs) immobilized with hydrous zirconium oxide (ZO) were used as a hybrid adsorbent (ZO@AB) for the effective removal of copper ions [Cu(II)] from aqueous phase. ZO@AB was characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to confirm the impregnation of ABs with ZO and the adsorption of Cu(II) onto ZO@AB. The maximum equilibrium sorption capacity of ZO@AB for Cu(II) was 63.1 mg-g-1 at pH 5. The Cu(II) removal rate was high at the beginning of reaction, with >90% adsorption within 24 hours, and equilibrium was achieved within 48 hours. The adsorption of Cu(II) onto ZO@AB was well described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R² > 0.99), and the monolayer nature of sorption was supported by the Langmuir model (R² > 0.99). The sorption process was endothermic, favorable, and spontaneous in nature. Regarding the reusability of the adsorbent, its sorption capacity remained satisfactory (>90%) throughout the 5 consecutive cycles (regeneration in 0.1 mol-L-1 HCl). The stoichiometric ratio of released calcium ions [Ca(II)] to adsorbed copper ions [Cu(II)] was approximately 1:1, confirming that ion exchange was the main mechanism for removal of Cu(II) from aqueous phase. The developed adsorbent (ZO@AB) shows promise as a candidate for the effective and selective removal of Cu(II) from aqueous phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Positive antinuclear antibody and direct antiglobulin tests support diagnoses such as systemic lupus erythematosus and immune‐mediated anemia, respectively. Positive tests may occur in cats, but the prevalence of positive results in healthy cats is not well known. Objective: The study's purpose was to determine prevalences of positive antinuclear antibody and direct antiglobulin tests in healthy cats. Methods: Antinuclear antibody titers were measured by indirect immunofluorescence, and anti‐erythrocyte antibodies were measured by the microtitration direct antiglobulin test at 37, 23, and 4°C in 61 client‐owned and 28 facility‐owned cats. Differences between the 2 groups were examined using chi‐squared tests. Results: For the antinuclear antibody tests, 70% of client‐owned cats were negative, 10% had weak titers (1:40–1:80), and 20% had strong titers (1:160–1:320). Facility‐owned cats had significantly fewer positive titers with 96% negative and one positive (1:8). For the antiglobulin test at 37°C, 93% of all cats were negative, 2 cats in each group were positive at low dilutions (1:2), and 2 client‐owned cats were transiently positive at high dilutions (≥ 1:2048). At 23°C, 90% of all cats were negative, and 2 client‐owned and 5 facility‐owned cats were positive at low dilutions (1:2–1:8). At 4°C, 67% of client‐owned cats had invalid results (negative control well agglutination), and 33% had negative results, while of facility‐owned cats 14% had invalid results, 14% had agglutination at low dilutions, and 72% were negative. Conclusion: Healthy cats may have positive antinuclear antibody and direct antiglobulin tests, but the prevalence of strong reactions is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the efficacy of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and titanium sulfate [Ti(SO4)2] on phosphorus (P) removal in synthetic wastewater compared with aluminum sulfate [Al2(SO4)3]. Jar test experiments were performed at various chemical doses and initial pH (pHi) levels to determine the conditions at which P removal was most efficient. The doses with 99% P removal were 0.31 to 0.34 mM for TiCl4, 0.15 mM for Ti(SO4)2, and 0.19 mM for Al2(SO4)3 as Al at 2 mg P/L, 100 mg CaCO3/L, and pHi = 7.0 to 8.0. The optimum pHi was 7 for TiCl4, 5.5 for Ti(SO4)2, and 7 for Al2(SO4)3. The P-removal efficiencies were Ti(SO4)2 > Al2(SO4)3 > TiCl4 at pHi 5.5, and TiCl4 ≈ Al2(SO4)3 > Ti(SO4)2 at pHi 7 and 8.5. P-removal ability of TiCl4 decreased as alkalinity increased. Quadratic models successfully approximated the response surface for P removal efficiency with simultaneous changes in pHi and chemical concentrations [TiCl4 and Al2(SO4)3]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a delay-locked-loop-based clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit design with a nB(n+2)B data formatting scheme for a high-speed serial display interface. The nB(n+2)B data is formatted by inserting a '01' clock information pattern in every piece of N-bit data. The proposed CDR recovers clock and data in 1:10 demultiplexed form without an external reference clock. To validate the feasibility of the scheme, a 1.7-Gbps CDR based on the proposed scheme is designed, simulated, and fabricated. Input data patterns were formatted as 10B12B for a high-performance display interface. The proposed CDR consumes approximately 8 mA under a 3.3-V power supply using a 0.35-µm CMOS process and the measured peak-to-peak jitter of the recovered clock is 44 ps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necessary and sufficient conditions for collapsibility of a directed acyclic graph (DAG) model for a contingency table are derived. By applying the conditions, we can easily check collapsibility over any variable in a given model either by using the joint probability distribution or by using the graph of the model structure. It is shown that collapsibility over a set of variables can be checked in a sequential manner. Furthermore, a DAG is compared with its moral graph in the context of collapsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to examine the usage effects of an augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD) system on the risk perception and psychological changes of drivers. To do so, we conducted an experiment to collect the driver response times for vehicles and pedestrians as their risk perception behavior, and used a driving behavior determinants questionnaire consisting of Problem Evading, Benefits/Sensation Seeking, Anti- Personal Anxiety, Anti-Personal Angry, and Aggression factors for collecting the psychological characteristics of the drivers. Thirty drivers were randomly assigned into an in-vehicle AR-HUD using group and a control group. As a result, the Anti-Personal Anxiety and Anti-Personal Angry factors were negatively correlated with the response time for the control group. In contrast, these results were not shown for the in-vehicle AR-HUD system using group. These results indicate that the in-vehicle AR-HUD system may partially induce a relaxation of tension or stress for drivers with a high level of interpersonal anxiety. Therefore, the in-vehicle AR-HUD system might contribute to not only the visual safety driving behaviors of drivers, but also to their psychological driving safety with specific characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) reflect selected wavelengths of light owing to their periodic helical structures. The encapsulation of CLCs leads to photonic devices that can be easily processed and might be used as stand-alone microsensors. However, when CLCs are enclosed by polymeric membranes, they usually lose their planar alignment, leading to a deterioration of the optical performance. A microfluidics approach was employed to integrate an ultrathin alignment layer into microcapsules to separate the CLC core and the elastomeric solid membrane using triple-emulsion drops as the templates. The thinness of the alignment layer provides high lubrication resistance, preserving the layer integrity during elastic deformation of the membrane. The CLCs in the microcapsules can thus maintain their planar alignment, rendering the shape and optical properties highly reconfigurable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and convenient divalent germanium ion-assisted low temperature (100°C) liquid phase synthesis of Sb2Te3 flowerlike nanostructures with diameters of 300-500 nm by controlled agglomeration is described. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the flakes were formed by two-dimensional aggregation of nanocrystals smaller than 10 nm. Subsequent experiments performed without the use of germanium source gave only platelike architectures of irregular size and shape. The morphology and composition of these synthesized Sb2Te3 nanoflowers were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, TEM, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectra. The atomic ratio of Sb to Te is very close to 2:3 stoichiometry. A possible mechanism is also proposed for the formation of these hierarchical nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the relationship between emotions and the physiological responses, with emotion recognition, using the proposed fuzzy information granulation-based neural network (FIGNN) for boredom, pain, and surprise emotions. For an analysis of the physiological responses, three emotions are induced through emotional stimuli, and the physiological signals are obtained from the evoked emotions. To recognize the emotions, we design an FIGNN recognizer and deal with the feature selection through an analysis of the physiological signals. The proposed method is accomplished in premise, consequence, and aggregation design phases. The premise phase takes information granulation using fuzzy c-means clustering, the consequence phase adopts a polynomial function, and the aggregation phase resorts to a general fuzzy inference. Experiments show that a suitable methodology and a substantial reduction of the feature space can be accomplished, and that the proposed FIGNN has a high recognition accuracy for the three emotions using physiological signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an adaptive multimodal in-vehicle information system for safe driving. The proposed system filters input information based on both the priority assigned to the information and the given driving situation, to effectively manage input information and intelligently provide information to the driver. It then interacts with the driver using an adaptive multimodal interface by considering both the driving workload and the driver's cognitive reaction to the information it provides. It is shown experimentally that the proposed system can promote driver safety and enhance a driver's understanding of the information it provides by filtering the input information. In addition, the system can reduce a driver's workload by selecting an appropriate modality and corresponding level with which to communicate. An analysis of subjective questionnaires regarding the proposed system reveals that more than 85% of the respondents are satisfied with it. The proposed system is expected to provide prioritized information through an easily understood modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to a develop model for generation expansion planning that can support diverse environmental policies for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) of South Korea. South Korea is required to reduce its GHG emissions by 30% from the BAU level by 2020. The Wien Automatic System Planning Package currently used in South Korea has limitations in terms of the application of renewable energy policies and GHG targets; this paper proposes the use of an equipment planning model named generation and transmission expansion program, which has been developed to resolve such limitations. For verification of the model, a case study on the 6th Basic Plan of Long-Term Electricity Supply and Demand has been conducted. The results show that for the year 2020 South Korea's annual GHG emissions will be 36.6% more than the GHG Target Management System (GHG TMS) target set for the same year (30%). To achieve the GHG TMS target, the costs involved amount to about 72 trillion KRW (70 billion USD). Consequently, the South Korean government needs to review the performability of this target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous silicon-based materials gained considerable attention as high-capacity lithium-storage materials. However, the practical use is still limited by the complexity and limited number of available synthetic routes. Here, we report carboncoated porous SiOx as high capacity lithium storage material prepared by using a sol-gel reaction of hydrogen silsesquioxane and oil-water templating. A hydrophobic oil is employed as a pore former inside the SiOx matrix and a precursor for carbon coating on the SiOx. The anode exhibits a high capacity of 730 mAhg-1 and outstanding cycling performance over 100 cycles without significant dimensional changes. Carbon-coated porous SiOx also showed highly stable thermal reliability comparable to that of graphite. These promising properties come from the mesopores in the SiOx matrix, which ensures reliable operation of lithium storage in SiOx. The scalable sol-gel process presented here can open up a new avenue for the versatile preparation of porous SiOx lithium storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the role of tyrosinase in mammalian melanogenesis and fruit or fungi enzymatic browning, and its use in skin treatments and cosmetics. It states natural tyrosinase inhibitors extracted from plant leaves of Trichosanthes baviensis are free from side effects, and cure inflammation, infection diseases and pigmentation disorders. It also mentions of the several compounds extracted from the methanol extract of the leaves of T. baviensis using chromatographic techniques.

The article discusses research which examined the inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) STAT3 activation by pimaradienoic acid from Aralia continentalis Kitagawa, a medicinal plant possessing various biological activities. Topics discussed include the secretion of IL-6 in immune and inflammatory cells and comparison of the inhibitory activity of pimaradienoic acid to genistein, a tyrosine inhibitor.

Detailed chemical investigation of Boscia senegalensis (Per) Lam. ex Poir. led to the isolation of one new flavonol glycoside, rhamnocitrin-3-O-β-D-(6''-O-E-feruloyl)-glucopyranoside named bosenegaloside A (1), with seven known compounds, rhamnocitrin-3-O-β-D-(6''-O-E-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (2), rhamnocitrin- 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenol-β-D-glucopyrinoside (4), lasianthionoside A (5), 3,7- dimethyl-1-octene-3,6,7-triol-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), syringin (7), and austroside B (8). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectroscopic data and by comparison of these data with previously published results. The inhibitory activity of the isolated compounds on soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) was assessed. Compounds 1-3 potently inhibited sEH activity with IC50 values of 12.8 ± 0.5, 18.4 ± 0.2, and 11.3 ± 0.9 µM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a selective synthetic method of fabricating Ag nanowires by using a modified polyol process. To synthesize the Ag nanowire, an ethylene glycolic solution of silver nitrate and an ethylene glycolic solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone solution containing a small amount of organic oxidant, 1,4-benzoquinone, were slowly added to a hot ethylene glycol medium at 160 °C for 8 min using a syringe pump. The reaction mixtures were heated for an additional 45 min and cooled to room temperature. Finally, the silver nanomaterials were isolated from the mixture by centrifugation. The crystal structure of the nanomaterials was investigated by powder X-ray diffraction analyses, and their morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. A small amount of organic oxidant, 1,4-benzoquinone, played a significant role in controlling the morphology during crystal growth. Consequently, Ag nanowires rather than Ag nanoparticles were selectively obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD137 (4-1BB), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, has been reported to be expressed in atherosclerotic plaques, and to promote lesion formation. However, the role of CD 137 in mediating atherosclerotic plaque stability and the possible underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoET-/-) and CD137-deficient ApoET-/- (ApoE-/-CD137-/-) mice fed a chow diet for 66 wk were used. CD 137 induces plaque instability, which is characterized by increased plaque necrosis, decreased collagen content, decreased vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) content, and increased macrophage infiltration. CD137 also increases the infiltration of effector T (Teff) cells into plaque lesion sites, resulting in increased interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expression. Interestingly, Teff-cell-derived IFN-γ inhibits collagen synthesis in atherosclerotic plaques. Furthermore, CD137 activation increases the apoptosis of VSMCs, possibly by decreasing the antiapoptotic regulator, Bcl-2, and subsequently up-regulating cleaved caspase-3. In macrophages, activation of CD137 signaling boosted the oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 via the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 signaling pathways. In summary, activation of CD137 signaling decreases the stability of advanced atherosclerotic plaques via its combined effects on Teff cells, VSMCs, and macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize copper-based electrode materials for printed electronics applications, it is necessary to improve the adhesion strength between conductive lines and the substrate. Here, we report the preparation of Cu pastes using (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) prepolymer as an adhesion promoter (AP). The Cu pastes were screen-printed on glass and polyimide (PI) substrates and sintered at high temperatures (> 250 °C) under a formic acid/N2 environment. According to the adhesion strengths and electrical conductivities of the sintered Cu films, the optimized Cu paste was composed of 1.0 wt % GPTMS prepolymer, 83.6 wt % Cu powder and 15.4 wt % vehicle. After sintering at 400 °C on a glass substrate and 275 °C on a PI substrate, the Cu films showed the sheet resistances of 10.0 mΩ/sq. and 5.2 mΩ/sq., respectively. Furthermore, the sintered Cu films exhibit excellent adhesion properties according to the results of the ASTM-D3359 standard test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study which examined the anti-inflammatory and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) transactivational effects of components from Ginkgo biloba seeds. Topics discussed include the evaluation of the effects of compounds on PPAR activation using a peroxisome proliferator responsive element (PPRE)-luciferase reporter assay, extraction and isolation of the dried seeds, and evaluation of cell viability.

A solid-phase synthetic approach is reported for the synthesis of an ascorbic acid (ASA)-dipeptide conjugate that exhibited enhanced antioxidant activity. The N-terminal amino group of dipeptide (Ala-Ala) on a resin support was first activated by 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), and then reacted with an ASA derivative. The addition of a base, triethylamine (TEA), promoted nucleophilic acylation of ASA derivative and yielded a desired product (ASA-Ala-Ala) with enhanced purity, when cleaved from the resin. Compared to the approach where a C3 hydroxyl group of ASA was first activated with CDI and then reacted with the amino group of dipeptide on the resin, this new approach allowed a significant reduction of a total reaction time from 120 h to 8 h at 25 oC. As-prepared ASA-dipeptide conjugate (ASA-Ala-Ala) showed improved antioxidant activity compared to ASA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new aliphatic acid amide, ZP-amide F (1), and eight known compounds, including bungeanumamide A (2), tumuramide C (3), ZP-amide A (4), ZP-amide B (5), ZP-amide D (6), hyperin (7), quercitrin (8), and (-)- sesamin (9), were isolated from pericarps of Zanthoxylum piperitum. The effects of these compounds on TNFα-induced NF-τB activation and transactivational activity of PPARs, including PPARα, PPARβ(δ) and PPARγ subtypes, were evaluated. Compounds 7 and 9 exhibited potent inhibitory effects on TNFα-induced NF-τB activation with IC50 values of 5.50 and 8.10 μM, respectively. Aliphatic acid amide compounds 3, 4 and 6 displayed enhanced effects on PPAR transactivational activity with EC50 values of 47.12, 19.13 and 12.02 μM, respectively. Among them, compound 4 demonstrated an increase in PPARα transactivational activity, compound 3 showed a moderate increase on all PPAR subtypes, whereas compound 6 displayed weak PPAR transactivational activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited functional genomics resources and whole genome association studies could be substantially improved in pepper (Capsicum annuum L., Solanaceae) through the application of a molecular approach for characterization of gene content and identification of molecular markers. We performed 454 GS-FLX Titanium massive parallel pyrosequencing of polyA-selected and normalized cDNA libraries generated from a single pool of transcripts obtained from two pepper varieties, the highly pungent Saengryeg 211 and the nonpungent Saengryeg 213, for de novo transcriptome assembly, functional annotation, and in silico discovery of potential molecular markers. A single 454 pyrosequencing run generated 361,671 and 274,269 reads totaling 164.49 and 124.60 Mb of sequence data, which assembled into 23,821 and 17,813 isotigs and 18,147 and 15,129 singletons for both varieties, respectively. These reads were organized into 20,352 and 15,781 'isogroups' for both varieties. Assembled sequences were functionally annotated on the basis of homology to genes in multiple public databases and assigned with gene ontology (GO) terms. Analysis of sequence variants identified a total of 11,584 and 9641 potential single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which eventually resulted in 665 and 632 genotype-specific SNPs for both the varieties, respectively, after examining SNP frequency distribution for each mapped unigenes. High-throughput transcriptome profiling and large scale of polymorphic marker discovery using next generation sequencing (NGS) of two pepper varieties provides valuable information for functional genomics resources, which will help to further improve the pepperbreeding efforts with respect to genetic linkage maps, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and marker-assisted trait selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of our program to search for antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory agents from plants, twelve phenolics (1-12) were isolated from the stems of Parthenocissus tricuspidata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR, and MS) data analyses, and comparison with published data. At the concentration of 100 µg/mL, compounds 2, 4, 6 and 10 possessed potential effects on anti-blood coagulation, with inhibitory percentage of 216, 174, 148 and 225%, respectively; while aspirin used as positive control showed 181% inhibition at the same concentration. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activity of isolated compounds (1-12) was investigated on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine macrophage cells (RAW264.7). Compounds 2, 4 and 6 also potential inhibited the production of nitric oxide, with IC50 values of 11.9 ± 0.3, 2.9 ± 0.2 and 29.0 ± 0.6 µM, respectively. Celastrol, the positive control used, gave an IC50 value of 1.0 ± 0.1 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]