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In this study, we evaluated gender differences in PD excretion, tissue distribution, and metabolism in rats. In addition, we also evaluated its anti-inflammatory activity and mechanism. The results showed that the concentrations of PD in the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine were the highest. The

An extensive study was performed to discover a series of novel 20(R)-panaxadiol derivatives with various substituents at the 3-OH position as nontoxic, brain-permeable, multi-target leads for treating Alzheimer's disease. In vitro analysis revealed that a compound bearing benzyl-substituted carbamate, which we denoted compound 14a, exhibited the most potent neuroprotective activity, with an EC

This paper describes a novel fluorescence label-free aptasensor to detect aflatoxin B

Ginsenoside Re is a protopanaxatriol-type saponin extracted from the berry, leaf, stem, flower bud, and root of Panax ginseng. In recent years, ginsenoside Re (Re) has been attracting attention as a dietary phytochemical. In this review, studies on Re were compiled by searching a combination of keywords, namely “pharmacology,” “pharmacokinetics,” and “toxicology,” in the Google Scholar, NCBI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The aim of this review was to provide an exhaustive overview of the pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of Re, focusing on clinical evidence that has shown effectiveness in specific diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, nervous system diseases, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Re is also known to eliminate virus, enhance the immune response, improve osteoporosis, improve skin barrier function, enhance intracellular anti-oxidant actions, regulate cholesterol metabolism, alleviate allergic responses, increase sperm motility, reduce erectile dysfunction, promote cyclic growth of hair follicles, and reduce gastrointestinal motility dysfunction. Furthermore, this review provides data on pharmacokinetic parameters and toxicological factors to examine the safety profile of Re. Such data will provide a theoretical basis and reference for Re-related studies and future applications.

Ginseng possesses antitumor effects, and ginsenosides are considered to be one of its main active chemical components. Ginsenosides can further be hydrolyzed to generate secondary saponins, and 20(Here, 20(The derivative with the best antitumor activity was identified as 6,12-dihydroxy-4,4,8,10,14-pentamethyl-17-(2,6,6-trimethyltetrahydro-2To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the production of derivative

Water sensors are a type of level sensor that can be used in various applications requiring the sensing of water levels, such as in dams, nuclear power plants, water pipes, water tanks, and dehumid...

We introduce a facile strategy to upcycle lignin waste to valuable activated carbon (AC). Unlike conventional preparation processes of AC, such as high-temperature carbonization above 600 °C followed by chemical or physical activation, we synthesized AC through low-carbonization (∼300 °C), ball-milling, and thermal activation. Low-temperature carbonization effectively led to the formation of the micro-pores and simultaneously high yield. Uniform activated morphology of char lignin is achieved through a ball-milling process. The as-synthesized AC exhibited a large specific surface area of 1075.18 m2 g−1, high specific capacitance of 115.1 F g−1, and excellent adsorbability of 0.23 gtoluene per gactivated carbon. Therefore, we believe that the presented facile strategy could lead to the realization of upcycling of lignin waste to highly useful AC.

In this paper, we characterize the thin conducting polymer film, PEDOT: PSS, using a microstrip line in a humid environment at microwave frequencies. To characterize the thin film alone over the microstrip line, a de-embedding technique of thru-reflect-line (TRL) calibration is utilized. After the de-embedding procedure, the thin film is modeled with a transmission line, and the film’s R, L, G, and C parameters are extracted from measured S-parameters. In addition, the characteristics of the thin film has been tested in terms of electrical conductivity with increasing relative humidity (RH). In the future, it is expected that this work can contribute to the improvement of stability as well as performance of conducting polymer-based electronic sensing devices.

Twenty-one AD-1 derivatives were designed and synthesized by introducing various nitrogen-containing heterocycles into C-2 and C-3 positions. Their anti-proliferative activities were evaluated on two human cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and RM-1 cells) and one normal human gastric mucosal epithelial cell GES-1. Most of derivatives exhibited increased inhibitory potency, compared with lead compound AD-1. The most potent compound 6d had an IC50 value of 6.03 μM against HCT-116 cells, while it did not exhibit obvious cytotoxicity on GES-1 cells. The primary mechanistic study indicated that 6d induced G2/M−phase arrest by regulating the expression levels of p53, p21, Cyclin B1 and CDK1. Furthermore, 6d also induced apoptosis in HCT-116 cells. Moreover, western blot analysis indicated that 6d blocked the activation of MEK/ERK signaling pathway by inhibiting the phosphorylation of MEK and ERK, and remarkably up-regulated the expression of Cyt-c and Cl-caspase-3/9/PARP. The results suggested that 6d caused apoptosis through regulating MEK/ERK signaling pathway and mitochondrial pathway.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide materials (TMDs), such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), have been considered promising candidates for future electronic applications owing to their electrical, mechanical, and optical properties. Here, we present a new concept for multifunctional MoS2 flash memory by combining a MoS2 channel with a PEDOT:PSS floating layer. The proposed MoS2 memory devices exhibit a switching ratio as high as 2.3 × 107, a large memory window (54.6 ± 7.80 V), and high endurance (>1,000 cycles). As the PEDOT:PSS film enables a low-temperature solution-coating process and mechanical flexibility, the proposed P-memory can be embedded on a polyimide substrate over a rigid silicon substrate, offering high mechanical endurance (over 1,000 cycle bending test). Furthermore, both MoS2 and PEDOT:PSS have a bandgap that is desirable in optoelectronic memory operation, where charge carriers are stored differently in the floating gate depending on light illumination. As a new application that combines photodiodes and memory functions, we demonstrate multilevel memory programming based on light intensity and color. By combining the MoS2 channel with the PEDOT:PSS floating layer, a new concept device is proposed. This work demonstrates optoelectronic memory operation with high mechanical endurance through a 1,000-cycle bending test, which also offers multilevel memory programming operation based on light intensity and color.

Electronic skin sensors prepared from biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric materials significantly benefit the research and scientific community, as they can reduce the amount of effort required for e-waste management by deteriorating or dissolving into the environment without pollution. Herein, we report the use of polylactic acid (PLA)-a promising plant-based bioplastic-and highly transparent, conductive, biocompatible, and flexible poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) materials to fabricate kirigami-based stretchable on-skin electrophysiological sensors via a low-cost and rapid laser cutting technique. The sensor stack with PEDOT:PSS and PLA layers exhibited high transparency (>85%) in the wavelength range of 400-700 nm and stay attached conformally to the skin for several hours without adverse effects. The Y-shaped kirigami motifs inspired by the microcracked gold film endowed the sensor with attributes such as high areal coverage (∼85%), breathability (∼40 g m-2 h-1), and multidirectional stretchability. The sensor has been successfully applied to monitor electrophysiological signals and demonstrated with an eye movement-supported communication interface for controlling home electronic appliances.

Background The effect of ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2) on mast cell-mediated anaphylaxis remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the effects of G-Rh2 on OVA-induced asthmatic mice and on mast cell-mediated anaphylaxis. Methods Asthma model was established for evaluating airway changes and ear allergy. RPMCs and RBL-2H3 were used for in vitro experiments. Calcium uptake, histamine release and degranulation were detected. ELISA and Western blot measured cytokine and protein levels, respectively. Results G-Rh2 inhibited OVA-induced airway remodeling, the production of TNF-α, IL-4, IL-8, IL-1β and the degranulation of mast cells of asthmatic mice. G-Rh2 inhibited the activation of Syk and Lyn in lung tissue of OVA-induced asthmatic mice. G-Rh2 inhibited serum IgE production in OVA induced asthmatic mice. Furthermore, G-Rh2 reduced the ear allergy in IgE-sensitized mice. G-Rh2 decreased the ear thickness. In vitro experiments G-Rh2 significantly reduced calcium uptake and inhibited histamine release and degranulation in RPMCs. In addition, G-Rh2 reduced the production of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-4 in IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells. Interestingly, G-Rh2 was involved in the FceRI pathway activation of mast cells and the transduction of the Lyn/Syk signaling pathway. G-Rh2 inhibited PI3K activity in a dose-dependent manner. By blocking the antigen-induced phosphorylation of Lyn, Syk, LAT, PLCγ2, PI3K ERK1/2 and Raf-1 expression, G-Rh2 inhibited the NF-κB, AKT-Nrf2, and p38MAPK-Nrf2 pathways. However, G-Rh2 up-regulated Keap-1 expression. Meanwhile, G-Rh2 reduced the levels of p-AKT, p38MAPK and Nrf2 in RBL-2H3 sensitized IgE cells and inhibited NF-κB signaling pathway activation by activating the AKT-Nrf2 and p38MAPK-Nrf2 pathways. Conclusion G-Rh2 inhibits mast cell-induced allergic inflammation, which might be mediated by the AKT-Nrf2/NF-κB and p38MAPK-Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The use of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. in traditional Chinese medicine dates back to about 5000 years ago thanks to its several beneficial and healing properties. Panaxadiol is a triterpenoid sapogenin monomer found in the roots of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. and has been proven to have various bio-activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and neuroprotective effects. Aim of the study The present study focuses on investigating the inflammation inhibitory effect and mechanism of panaxadiol by regulating zinc finger protein 91-regulated activation of non-canonical caspase-8 inflammasome and MAPKs in macrophages. Materials and methods In vitro, the underlying mechanisms by which panaxadiol inhibits ZFP91-regulated IL-1β expression were investigated using molecular docking, western blotting, RT-PCR, ELISA, immunofluorescence, and immunoprecipitation assays. In vivo, colitis was induced by oral administration of DSS in drinking water, and peritonitis was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of alum. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV serotype 9) vector was used to establish ZFP91 knockdown mouse. Results We confirmed that panaxadiol inhibited IL-1β secretion by suppressing ZFP91 in macrophages. Further analysis revealed that panaxadiol inhibited IL-1β secretion by suppressing ZFP91-regulated activation of non-canonical caspase-8 inflammasome. Meanwhile, panaxadiol inhibited IL-1β secretion by suppressing ZFP91-regulated activation of MAPKs. In vivo, prominent anti-inflammatory effects of panaxadiol were demonstrated in a DSS induced acute colitis mouse model and in an alum-induced peritonitis model by suppressing ZFP91-regulated secretion of inflammatory mediators, consistent with the results of the AAV-ZFP91 knockdown in mice. Conclusions We report for the first time that panaxadiol inhibited IL-1β secretion by suppressing ZFP91-regulated activation of non-canonical caspase-8 inflammasome and MAPKs, providing evidence for anti-inflammation mechanism of panaxadiol treatment for inflammatory diseases.

This essay examines Kim Yongt’ae’s photocollage DMZ, which consists of photo-portraits he acquired from commercial photo studios in US military camptowns in South Korea. The co-founding member of the South Korean artist group Hyŏnsilgwa parŏn (Reality and Utterance), Kim visited camptowns in 1984. There, he found hundreds of studio photo-portraits depicting Korean women and American GIs serving United States Forces Korea (USFK). While discussions on “found” photographs often center on the discourses of archive, appropriation, or vernacularity appended by the cultural specificity of their origins, this essay proposes a new framework through which Kim’s work is explored: transnational militarism and “disidentification” — a concept put forth by Jose Esteban Munoz on minoritarian performativity. Through this framework, DMZ challenges the binary reading of camptown subjects as victim and victimizer and proposes the performative formation of a new subjectivity.

Regeneration of pure water is an important issue not only for the healthy life but also for the fine control of precise processes in various industries. One important issue in ultra-high purified water is to reduce the amount of total organic carbon (TOC). Herein, we introduce a new approach to reduce the TOC using the surface silanized nanoparticles, in which the magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) are silanized and then complexed with ion exchange resin (IER) beads. The Fe3O4 mNPs are surface modified by using high concentrated vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) and then adhered on the surface of IER beads. The surface modified mNPs have a thick-shell of polysiloxane layer varying from 5 to 22 nm depending on the amount of VTMS used, which leads the significant increase of specific surface area. The IER beads embedding VTMS-silanized mNPs achieves about 7 μg/L of the TOC level in ultrapure water system, which is two orders less than 228 μg/L of the feeding water and one order less than 96 μg/L from the system using pristine IER beads. This result is mainly attributed to the polysiloxane layer forming broccoli-like surface structure and some part by the vinyl group of VTMS exposed to the amines in the water.

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factors control many physiological processes including inflammation, immunity, apoptosis and angiogenesis. In our search for NF-κB inhibitors from natural resources, we identified baicalein from Scutellaria baicalensis as an inhibitor of NF-κB activation. As examined by the NF-κB luciferase reporter assay, we found that baicalein suppressed TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation in a dose-dependent manner. It also inhibited TNF-α-induced nuclear translocation of p65 through inhibition of phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα. Furthermore, baicalein blocked the TNF-α-induced expression of NF-κB target genes involved in anti-apoptosis (cIAP-1, cIAP-2, FLIP and BCL-2), proliferation (COX-2, cyclin D1 and c-Myc), invasion (MMP‑9), angiogenesis (VEGF) and major inflammatory cytokines (IL-8 and MCP1). The flow cytometric analysis indicated that baicalein potentiated TNF-α-induced apoptosis and induced G1 phase arrest in HeLa cells. Moreover, baicalein significantly blocked activation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Our results imply that baicalein could be a lead compound for the modulation of inflammatory diseases as well as certain cancers in which inhibition of NF-κB activity may be desirable.

We report the fabrication of an all organic-based solar cell and thermoelectric generator hybrid device using an organic solar cell (OSC) and a single highly conductive PEDOT:PSS film as the solar cell and thermoelectric generator (TEG), respectively. The Seebeck coefficient of the single PEDOT:PSS film was measured as 19.8 μV/K. When the two devices were hybridized, hybridization loss (i.e., reduction in FF) caused by the internal resistance of the PEDOT:PSS film used as the organic thermoelectric generator (OTEG) decreased, because of the decreased resistance of the PEDOT:PSS film. The hybridization loss of FF was neglected when the resistance of the PEDOT:PSS film was below 1.36 Ω. The PEDOT:PSS films as OTEG were fabricated by drop-casting of the PEDOT:PSS solution on glass. The temperature difference in the PEDOT:PSS film was 5 °C in the hybrid device. As the resistance of the PEDOT:PSS film was 1.36 Ω, after hybridization, the PCE of the hybrid device was enhanced by the increased open circuit voltage (Voc) generated from the PEDOT:PSS film. The result shows that the PEDOT:PSS film can be applied as an OTEG material for all organic-based solar cell and thermoelectric generator hybrid devices.

Zinc finger protein 91 (ZFP91) has been reported to be involved in various biological processes. However, the clinical significance and biological role of ZFP91 in colon cancer remains unknown. Here, we show that ZFP91 expression is upregulated in patients with colon cancer. We found that ZFP91 upregulated HIF-1α at the levels of promoter and protein in colon cancer cells. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and luciferase reporter gene assay, we found that NF-κB/p65 is required for the binding of ZFP91 to the HIF-1α promoter at -197/-188 base pairs and for the transcriptional activation of HIF-1α gene mediated by ZFP91. Flow cytometry, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation and tumor xenograft assay demonstrated that ZFP91 enhanced cell proliferation of colon cancer through upregulating HIF-1α in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, ZFP91 is positively associated with HIF-1α in human colon cancer. Thus, we concluded that ZFP91 activates transcriptional coregulatory protein HIF-1α through transcription factor NF-κB/p65 in the promotion of proliferation and tumorigenesis in colon cancer cell. ZFP91 may serve as a driver gene to activate HIF-1α transcription in the development of cancer.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a heterodimeric transcription factor that mediates the adaptation of tumor cells and tissues to the hypoxic microenvironment, has attracted considerable interest as a potential therapeutic target. Kamebakaurin is a diterpenoid compound isolated from Isodon excia (Maxin.) Hara, which has been used for anti-inflammatory activities. However, its antitumor activity along with molecular mechanism has not been reported. Kamebakaurin showed potent inhibitory activity against HIF-1 activation induced by hypoxia or CoCl2 in various human cancer cell lines. This compound significantly decreased the hypoxia-induced accumulation of HIF-1α protein, whereas it did not affect the expression of topoisomerase-I (Topo-I). Further analysis revealed that kamebakaurin inhibited HIF-1α protein synthesis, without affecting the expression level of HIF-1α mRNA or degradation of HIF-1α protein. Furthermore, kamebakaurin prevented hypoxia-induced expression of HIF-1 target genes for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and erythropoietin (EPO). However, kamebakaurin caused cell growth inhibition via cell cycle arrest at G1 phase in tumor cells. In vivo studies, we further confirmed the inhibitory effect of kamebakaurin on the expression of HIF-1α proteins, leading to growth inhibition of HCT116 cells in a xenograft tumor model. These results show that kamebakaurin is an effective inhibitor of HIF-1 and provide new perspectives into its anticancer activity.

The water-, weather- and chemical-resistant conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)-co-poly(ethylene glycol methacrylate) (PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA)) copolymer was successfully synthesized with thermally curable P(SS-co-PEGMA) copolymers. The PSS and P(SS-co-PEGMA) copolymers were synthesized by solution polymerization and PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) were synthesized by Fe+-catalyzed oxidative polymerization. PSS and P(SS-co-PEGMA) were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The electrical properties of the conductive PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) thin films were characterized in two parts; first, the mechanism and characterization of the conductivity change, and second, the characterization of the water-, chemical-, and weather-stability of the films. The conductivity and transmittance, respectively, of PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) at 550 nm under optimized conditions were maintained at the levels found in PEDOT:PSS, 160.3 S cm−1 and 86.7%. The introduction of PEGMA to the PSS copolymer improved the mechanical properties and weather stability. The PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) was highly stable to chemical solvents and independent of the type of solvents used for stability analysis. The conductivity in the weather stability test of PEDOT:PSS decreased by 44.9%, on the other hand, the conductivity of PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) was decreased by only 22.2%. The PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) copolymers were used as buffer layers in organic solar cells (OSC) and showed as high efficiency as conventional PEDOT:PSS materials. The decrease of OSC efficiency with PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) was 30% less than the OSCs with the commercial and reference PEDOT:PSS buffer layers.

The thermopower performance of polyaniline doped with the considerably reliable ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate was investigated to determine its potential as an alternative to fossil fuels. The ionic liquid, a stable ion complex, was used as the chemical dopant to confer n-type electrical properties to the polyaniline conducting polymer. The ionic liquid-doped polyaniline had an electrical conductivity, n-type Seebeck coefficient, and thermopower execution of 0.23 S m−1, −138.8 μV K−1, and 4.43 × 10−3 μW m−1 K−2, respectively as a result of the chemical doping method and thermal treatment. In addition, the ionic liquid-doped polyaniline realized a stable n-type thermoelectric performance under ambient conditions for 15 days.

Development of eco-friendly polymer foams is an urgent research topic because of the serious environmental pollution caused by trash heaps and the time-release of harmful gases. Polymer PVC foam using azodicarbonamide as a chemical foaming agent has been highly requested for further improvement due to the residual ammonia gas that continuously leaks out. Here, we demonstrate an effective and costless process for the reduction of releasing ammonia from PVC foams using the overcoat technology of deodorants. We have selected four candidate materials, gelite, zeolite, terra alba, and fumed silica as original materials for the deodorant of ammonia, and they showed an ammonia deodorization rate (ADR) of over 80% without any treatment except the fumed silica. When we over-coated the UV-curing agent mixed deodorants on the PVC foams (thickness ~300 &micro, m), the ADR of the terra alba and zeolite complex foams was remarkably higher than 90%, however, the specific gravity and chromaticity were not changed within 20%. This indicates that our developed process using deodorant layer for ammonia reduction has a high potential for the production of eco-friendly polymer foams.

We report a simple processing method to simultaneously improve the efficiency and stability of organic solar cells (OSCs). Poly(4-styrene sulfonate)-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene (PEDOT:PSS), widely used as hole transport layer (HTL) in OSCs, tends to accelerate the degradation of devices because of its hygroscopic and acidic properties. In this regard, we have modified PEDOT:PSS to reduce its hygroscopic and acidic properties through a condensation reaction between PEDOT:PSS and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (PEGME) in order to improve the efficiency and stability of OSCs. As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased by 21%, from 2.57% up to 3.11%. A better energy level alignment by the reduced work function of the modified PEDOT:PSS with a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) is considered the origin of the improved the efficiency. The half-life of OSCs with PEDOT:PSS modified with PEGME buffer layer also increased up to 3.5 times compared to that of devices with pristine PEDOT:PSS buffer layer.

The hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) has been known to be correlated to the adaptation and proliferation of tumor cells; therefore HIF-1 has become an important target in the development of anticancer drugs. Dihydrotanshinone I (DHTS) is a phenanthrenequinone compound from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which has been used in oriental medicine for its antitumor activities. However, the mechanisms by which DHTS inhibits tumor growth are not fully understood. We here demonstrated the effect of DHTS on hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) activation. DHTS dose-dependently decreased the hypoxia-induced accumulation and activation of HIF-1α protein. Further analysis revealed that DHTS inhibited HIF-1α protein synthesis, without affecting the expression level of HIF-1α mRNA or degradation of HIF-1α protein. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2), ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), eIF4E binding protein-1 (4E-BP1), and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) were dose-dependently suppressed by DHTS, but no significant effect on total protein levels was observed. Furthermore, DHTS prevented hypoxia-induced expression of HIF-1 target genes and flow cytometric analysis indicated that DHTS induced G1 phase arrest in HeLa cell. In vivo studies further confirmed the inhibitory effect of DHTS on the expression of HIF-1α proteins, leading to a decrease in growth of HeLa cells in a xenograft tumor model. These results show that DHTS inhibited HIF-1α protein synthesis by downregulating the mTOR/p70S6K/4E-BP1 and MEK/ERK pathways. These conclusions suggest that DHTS is an effective inhibitor of HIF-1 and provide new perspectives into the mechanism of its anticancer activity.

Summary A sensor for two types of ammonia (NH3) and carbon monoxide (CO) is fabricated on silicon substrate by using the drop-coating method and the sensor performance is investigated. Polypyrrole, an electro-conductive plastic, is used as the sensing material of the gas sensor. The gas sensor functions to maintain a constant gate voltage in a state that facilitates measurement of the conductivity of the gate, source, and drain having a source electrode and the drain electrode of a field effect transistor channel between the structures. The sensor exhibits an increase/decrease of the resistance upon exposure to a low concentration of NH3 and CO gas. This approach can be applied for highly sensitive room-temperature sensing of CO and NH3 at sub-ppm concentrations and for the development of very low-power devices. The synthesized conducting polypyrrole was characterized via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The electronic transport properties of the sensors are measured in a field effect transistor geometry under ambient conditions. The sensing properties of the conducting polypyrrole gas sensor at sub-ppm gas concentrations are described.

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and the signaling pathways that regulate its activity have become a focal point for intense drug research and development efforts. NF-κB regulates the transcription of a large number of genes, particularly those involved in immune, inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic responses. In our search for NF-κB inhibitors from natural resources, we identified malloapelta B as an inhibitor of NF-κB activation from Mallotus apelta Muell-Arg. In the present study, we demonstrated the effect of malloapelta B on NF-κB activation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. This compound suppressed NF-κB activation through the inhibition of IκB kinase (IKK) activation, thereby blocking the phosphorylation and degradation of the inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκBα), and the nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of p65. The suppression of NF-κB by malloapelta B led to the down-regulation of target genes involved in inflammation and proliferation. Taken together, this study extends our understanding on the mechanisms underlying the possible anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of malloapelta B. Our findings provide new insight into its mechanisms of action and propose a potential application of malloapelta B for inflammatory diseases as well as certain cancers associated with abnormal NF-κB activation.

We report the simple synthesis of tellurium nanowires (TeNWs) by a one-pot scale-up hydrothermal process. A clean wet-chemical method, employing telluric acid (Te(OH)6) as a source of tellurium, ascorbic acid as a weak reducing agent, and a linear polymer as a template, has been developed for the synthesis of TeNWs with a diameter of 30–140 nm and a length of several micrometers at 105 °C. A possible explanation for the one-dimensional growth of TeNWs is the linear polymer template. The effects of the concentration of the polymeric template on the nanowire morphology were investigated. Evaluation of the thermoelectric properties indicated a high Seebeck coefficient and a power factor of about 568 μV K−1 and 8.44 μW mK−2, respectively, of the optimized TeNW films, and these values were about 80 times larger than those of the TeNW films formed without a polymeric template. We expect this simple process to be widely applicable for large-scale production of one-dimensional inorganic nanomaterials for energy harvesting and electronic devices.

Motivated by understanding the ESD-induced currents from body-worn, wire and hose connected medical equipment is exposed to, a computer simulation is presented to estimate the impedance of a human body relative to ground. This 3D model is the basis for transient field calculation. A Method of Moments (MoM) frequency domain solution is transformed into time domain via IFFT for further circuit level time domain simulations. The human body is modeled as a homogeneous dielectric with frequency-dependent complex permittivity. Dependence of the impedance on the position of discharge and posture of the human body is investigated. The simulation results are compared with measurements and demonstrate capturing of general tendencies of measured curves.

Azodicarbonamide (ADCA) is commonly used as typical chemical foaming agent through thermal decomposition. However, development of eco-friendly chemical foaming agent is acutely required due to ammonia gas generated from ADCA. Furthermore, the market demand is also occurring rapidly by international regulation on human health such as ?REACH?(European super-environment regulation), environmental pollutant emission regulation and increase interest of companies for improving working conditions. Therefore, the size effect of porous inorganic particle on ammonia gas deodorization was studied for development of eco-friendly chemical foaming agent. First, ammonia gas deodorizing effect of the inorganic particle was confirmed over 90% by test analysis on Korea Far Infrared Association (KFIA). The thermal and morphological properties of the inorganic particle were measured by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) respectively. Also, the surface area of the inorganic particle was analyzed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET).Then after fabrication of foaming body using ADCA foaming agent depending on the content and size of the inorganic particle, the foaming efficiency, whiteness and ammonia gas emission were measured and analyzed by hydrometer, color difference meter and ammonia gas detector tube respectively.

This study was undertaken to suggest an effective fisheries resources management system by using stock assessment and potential yield analyses of crucian carp population in the mid-upper system of the Seomjin River. Fieldwork was conducted seasonally from 2008 to 2009 in the mid-upper system of the Seomjin River. The stock assessment was carried out by the swept area method and the potential yield was estimated by improved fisheries resource potential estimation system based on the Allowable Biological Catch. Also, the yield-per-recruit analysis was used to review the efficient manage ment implication of the resource, Carassius auratus. As a result, the age at first capture (t c) was estimated as 1.468 year, converted body length (BL) was 10.8 cm. Meaning the current fishing intensities, the instantaneous coefficient of fishing mortality (F) was 0.067 year -1 , and the yield-per-recruit analysis showed that the current yield per recruit was estimated to be 15.999 g with F and tc. The instantaneous rate of fishing mortality that provides for Allowable Biological Catch (F ABC) based on the current tc and F was estimated as 0.618 year -1 . Therefore, the optimum fishing intensities could be achieved at the higher fishing intensity for Carassius auratus. The calculated annual stock of C. auratus was estimated as 7,608 kg, and the potential yield was estimated as 343 kg with tc and F at the fixed current level. Using yield-per-recruit analysis, if F and tc were set at 0.618 year -1 and 2 year, the yield per recruit and total allowable catch would be predicted to increase to 62 g and 2,531 kg by about 3.9 times and 7.3 times, respectively.

Celastrol is a quinone methide triterpene derived from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F., a plant used in traditional medicine. In the present study, we reported that celastrol potentiated tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced apoptosis, affected activation of caspase-8, caspase-3 and PARP cleavage, and inhibited the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 and 2 (cIAP1 and cIAP2), cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP), and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). In addition, celastrol significantly reduced the invasion of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells after TNF-α stimulation. As matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays a critical role in tumor metastasis, we analyzed its expression with celastrol treatment. Western blot analysis and real-time PCR showed that celastrol dose-dependently suppressed TNF-α-induced MMP-9 gene expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that celastrol may be a potential candidate for breast cancer chemotherapy.

A new phenyl glycoside, 2-(sophorosyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanone (9), was isolated from the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Equisetum hyemale L., together with eight known compounds (1-8). The structures of these compounds were elucidated using a combination of spectroscopic analyses and chemical method. Of these nine compounds, 4 and 7 showed hepatoprotective effects towards tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep 3B cells with EC50 values of 42.7 ± 1.5 and 132.6 ± 2.8 μM, respectively.