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This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effects of taurine in attenuating muscle atrophy. C26 carcinoma cells were cultured and injected into the scapulae of Balb/c mice with 1 × 10

A zeolite beta-templated carbon (BTC) and its N-doped form (nBTC) were prepared and used for the adsorptive removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) antibiotic from water. Both demonstrated excellent adsorption properties, and the maximum adsorption capacity of nBTC (1367 mg/g) was exceptionally high, and surpassed those of other adsorbents reported to date. Adsorption kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption was efficient, and adsorption equilibrium was reached within 10 min. The excellent adsorption performance of nBTC was attributed to the high-surface-area hydrophobic carbons with strong π–π interactions and H-bonding in the uniform microporous geometry of the material. The effect of the solution pH and thermodynamics of the adsorption process were subsequently investigated. nBTC was easily regenerated by washing with acetone, and a recyclability test confirmed that ~88% of the initial SMX adsorption capacity of nBTC was retained after the fifth adsorption–desorption cycle. Moreover, nBTC presented excellent capacity for the adsorptive removal of bisphenol A from water.

The 5-times chair stand test (5CST) is a proxy tool for measuring physical performance and muscle strength in diagnosing sarcopenia. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 guidelines recommends the 5CST for evaluating gait speed, whereas the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People guidelines recommend the chair stand test as a proxy for muscle strength.This study sought to determine whether the chair stand test correlates with handgrip strength and gait speed, and investigate sex differences in these relationships.We used data collected from 1416 participants (678 men and 738 women) in the 2017 Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS).The 5CST time had a higher correlation with gait speed (r = - 0.470) than handgrip strength (r = - 0.309). In addition, 5CST time predicted low gait speed (area under the curve [AUC] 0.727) better than low handgrip strength (AUC 0.641). The optimal cutoff values of the 5CST to estimate low gait speed were 10 s for men (sensitivity 62%, specificity 64%) and 11 s for women (sensitivity 68%, specificity 67%). The optimal cutoff values of the 5CST for low handgrip strength were the same as those for low gait speed (10 s for men and 11 s for women).The 5-times chair stand test fits with gait speed and handgrip strength but seems to be a better proxy of gait speed than handgrip strength. The optimal cutoff values of the 5CST to estimate low gait speed and low handgrip strength were lower in men than women. Although none of the AWGS 2019 or EWGSOP guidelines present sex-specific cutoffs for the 5CST, it needs to be considered in the next guidelines.

Background Proper blocking of toll-like receptor (TLR) activation during disease progression has been reported to have inhibitory effect on the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We tested whether the TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242 had potential as a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis. Methods The therapeutic effect of TAK-242 was tested in vitro using the human rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) line MH7A or primary human FLS and in an adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rat model. Results TAK-242 dose dependently inhibited the increased expression of IL-6, IL-8, MMP-1, and VEGF in LPS-stimulated MH7A cells. It also inhibited the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in poly(I:C), TLR3 activator-stimulated primary FLS, but not in IL-1β-stimulated primary FLS. These findings suggest that TAK-242 blocks a specific signaling pathway to some degree. Further, TAK-242 slightly inhibited mobilization of NF-κB into nuclei. In the AIA rat model, TAK-242 significantly reversed the body weight and paw thickness of AIA rats to the normal state at a dose of 5 mg/kg, but not at 3 mg/kg, and reduced the increased serum level of IL-6 and VEGF in AIA rats. It also significantly ameliorated inflammatory symptoms of joint tissues at day 21 of treatment, according to histology and RT-PCR. Conclusions Based on the drug repositioning concept, TAK-242, which is used for the treatment of TLR4-mediated inflammatory diseases, shows potential for cost-effective development as a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis or to control the progression of RA.

This paper proposes a residual stress mitigation of a nuclear safety-related austenitic stainless steel TP304 pipe bended by local induction heating process via performing elastic-plastic finite element analysis. Residual stress distributions of the pipe bend were calculated by performing finite element analysis. Validity of the finite element analysis procedure was verified via comparing with temperature histories measured by using thermocouples, ultrasonic thickness measurement results, and residual stress measurement results by a hole-drilling method. Parametric finite element stress analysis was performed to investigate effects of the process and geometric shape variables on the residual stresses on inner surfaces of the pipe by applying the verified procedure. As a result of the parametric analysis, it was found that it is difficult to considerably reduce the inner surface residual stresses by changing the existing process and geometric shape variables. So, in order to mitigate the residual stresses, effect of an additional process such as cooling after the bending on the residual stresses was investigated. Finally, it was identified that the additional heating after the bending can significantly reduce the residual stresses while other variables have insignificant effect. Keywords: Local induction heating, Pipe bend, Austenitic stainless steel TP304, Nuclear safety-related class, Residual stresses mitigation, Elastic-plastic finite element analysis

Preparing Pt nanostructure catalysts with better support materials is an efficient catalyst design strategy to develop high performance Pt-based electrocatalysts. Here we report for the first time a method to synthesize highly-dispersed Pt nanoclusters supported on microporous three-dimensional (3D) graphene-like carbon (3D-GLC) for use in the electrochemical oxidation reaction. The Pt nanoclusters loaded on 3D graphene-like carbon (Pt/3D-GLC) are synthesized by Ca2+-exchanged beta zeolite template based carbon synthesis and subsequent Pt impregnation methods. Highly-dispersed Pt nanoclusters (ca. 1.25 ± 0.30 nm) loaded on the 3D-GLC having a large surface area (ca. 2910 m2/g) demonstrate superior electrocatalytic performance for electrochemical glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) over that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. We hypothesize in this work that the improved GOR performance of Pt/3D-GLC is related to the increase of Pt active sites by decreasing Pt cluster size and the change in the physicochemical properties of the Pt by interaction between the Pt cluster and 3D-GLC. In addition, first-principle density functional theory (DFT) and ab-initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to demonstrate that the finely-dispersed Pt nanoclusters on 3D-GLC support can give rise to excellent GOR activity in accordance with the enhanced adsorption behavior of glycerol on its Pt crystal surfaces.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen/damage-associated molecular patterns and initiate inflammatory signaling cascades. Occasionally, overexpression of TLRs leads to the onset of numerous inflammatory diseases, necessitating the development of selective inhibitors to allow a protective yet balanced immune response. Here, we demonstrate that a novel peptide (TIP1) derived from Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adapter protein inhibited multiple TLR signaling pathways (MyD88-dependent and MyD88-independent) in murine and human cell lines. TIP1 also inhibited NLRP3-mediated IL-1β secretion, as we validated at both the protein and mRNA levels. Biophysical experiments confirmed that TIP1 specifically binds to the BB loop of the TLR4-TIR domain. Animal studies revealed that TIP1 inhibited the secretion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced proinflammatory cytokines in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and kaolin/carrageenan-induced arthritis (K/C) rodent models. TIP1 also rescued animals from sepsis and from LPS-induced kidney/liver damage. Importantly, TIP1 ameliorated the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in CIA and K/C rodent models, suggesting that TIP1 has therapeutic potential for the treatment of TLR-mediated autoimmune/inflammatory diseases., Inflammation: A decoy peptide treats arthritis and sepsis in mice A newly discovered peptide drug that disrupts signaling through a critical immune pathway could offer a new treatment for inflammatory diseases. Sangdun Choi from Ajou University in Suwon, South Korea, and colleagues designed the drug to look similar to—and thus act as kind of decoy for—a protein that regulates signaling through Toll-like receptors (TLRs), proteins found on immune cells that initiate responses to pathogens and also play a role in autoimmunity. In mouse and human cells, the drug inhibited multiple TLR signaling pathways, including a pathway that normally activates a multiprotein complex implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases. In mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis, the drug limited the release of proinflammatory molecules in the blood and reduced disease symptoms.

Here we report an efficient catalyst design strategy to develop high performance Pt-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Finely-dispersed Pt nanoclusters supported on microporous graphene-like 3D carbon (Pt/MGTC) having a Pt size of ca. 1.3 nm were synthesized by zeolite template-based carbon synthesis and subsequent Pt impregnation. The Pt/MGTC catalyst demonstrated about 2 times higher ORR activity than that of commercial Pt/C. In addition, the Pt/MGTC showed relatively stable ORR performance, maintaining an activity higher than that of Pt/C. This performance enhancement of electrocatalytic ORR on Pt/MGTC was attributed to the significant increase of Pt active sites and the efficient charge transport in Pt/MGTC.

Highly porous carbon was prepared via a zeolite hard templating route. Subsequent melamine treatment produced nitrogen-functionalized carbon (NPC), which was used as a support to anchor Pd nanoparticles (Pd/NPC) of sizes 2–4 nm using the chemical reduction method. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize the textural properties, structure, and chemical nature of the catalyst. Pd/NPC was then employed as a catalyst for the transfer hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural (FF) to furfuryl alcohol (FFA) with alcohol as a hydrogen donor, and the effect of temperature, hydrogen donor species, reaction time, and catalysts loading were investigated. The Pd/NPC catalyst was reusable up to five times without any apparent loss of its activity and selectivity. A possible mechanistic pathway for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of FF over Pd/NPC catalyst was proposed.

Eosinophils are major effector cells of allergic disease and excellent markers of eosinophilic inflammation. Accurate and reliable biomarkers are helpful in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of allergic disease.This study aimed to investigate an alternate marker of eosinophilic inflammation, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), in a number of allergic diseases.Three hundred ninety-six elementary school-age children with various allergic conditions were recruited for this study. Subgroups included food allergies (FAs), atopic dermatitis (AD), bronchial asthma (BA), and allergic rhinitis (AR). EDN levels in these groups were compared to those in 93 healthy controls (HC).All subjects with allergic disease had elevated levels of serum EDN (median [interquartile range]: FA, 124.2 ng/mL [59.13-160.5 ng/mL]; AD, 110.8 ng/mL [57.52-167.9 ng/mL]; BA, 131.5 ng/mL [60.60-171.0 ng/mL]; AR, 91.32 ng/mL [46.16-145.0 ng/mL]) compared to HC (38.38 ng/mL [32.40-55.62 ng/mL]) (Direct measures of eosinophilic inflammation are needed for accurate diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of allergic diseases. EDN may be a worthy biomarker of eosinophil activity and a useful screening tool for allergic diseases including FA, AD, BA, and AR.

Precise doping-profile engineering in van der Waals heterostructures is a key element to promote optimal device performance in various electrical and optical applications with two-dimensional layered materials. Here, we report tungsten diselenide- (WSe2) based pure vertical diodes with atomically defined p-, i- and n-channel regions. Externally modulated p- and n-doped layers are respectively formed on the bottom and the top facets of WSe2 single crystals by direct evaporations of high and low work-function metals platinum and gadolinium, thus forming atomically sharp p–i–n heterojunctions in the homogeneous WSe2 layers. As the number of layers increases, charge transport through the vertical WSe2 p–i–n heterojunctions is characterized by a series of quantum tunneling events; direct tunneling, Fowler–Nordheim tunneling, and Schottky emission tunneling. With optimally selected WSe2 thickness, our vertical heterojunctions show superb diode characteristics of an unprecedentedly high current density and low turn-on voltages while maintaining good current rectification., Vertical charge transport through homogeneous WSe2 layers can be effectively tuned by the layer number and contacting metals deposited. Here, the authors report WSe2 vertical diodes with superior device performance characteristics based on variable WSe2 thickness and gadolinium and platinum contact metals.

Background: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is involved in the pathogenesis of arthritic diseases. The TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242 has shown potential as a possible treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in an adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model. However, further investigation of the anti-arthritis effect of TAK-242 in other animal models of arthritis disease is required. Objective: This study was conducted to examine the anti-arthritic effects and mechanisms of TAK-242 on curdlan-induced spondyloarthritis in SKG mice. Methods: Curdlan-injected SKG ZAP-70W163C mice were intraperitoneally administered with TAK-242 (3 mg/kg) every other day or anti-IL-23 antibody (100 μg) weekly for 9 weeks. The therapeutic effect of TAK-242 was evaluated in the SKG mice by measuring the inflammation level of foot, ileum, lung and tail by histology, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in serum, bone mineral density (BMD) in femur and spine, and CD4+T cell subtypes Th1 and Th17 in spleen.Results: TAK-242 treatment significantly reduced clinical score, paw width, and colon length in SKG mice. Consistent with the therapeutic effect, TAK-242 also reduced peripheral arthritis and IL-17 expression in the foot and ileum tissues. It also inhibited inflammation of the lungs, ileum, paws, and tail and reduced serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α. TAK-242 recovered the reduced bone density in the femur but not in the spine. Treatment with TAK-242 also suppressed the populations of Th1 and Th17 cells in the spleen of SKG mice.Conclusions: TAK-242 may show beneficial anti-arthritis effects by inhibiting the proliferation of pro-inflammatory Th1 and Th17 cells. Further research is needed for TAK-242 to be repositioned as a treatment for arthritis disease.

Sarcopenic obesity (SOB), which is closely related to being elderly as a feature of aging, is recently gaining attention because it is associated with many other age-related diseases that present as altered intercellular communication, dysregulated nutrient sensing, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Along with insulin resistance and inflammation as the core pathogenesis of SOB, autophagy has recently gained attention as a significant mechanism of muscle aging in SOB. Known as important cellular metabolic regulators, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) signaling pathways play an important role in autophagy, inflammation, and insulin resistance, as well as mutual communication between skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and the liver. Furthermore, AMPK and PGC-1α signaling pathways are implicated in the gut microbiome–muscle axis. In this review, we describe the pathological link between SOB and its associated complications such as metabolic, cardiovascular, and liver disease, falls and fractures, osteoarthritis, pulmonary disease, and mental health via dysregulated autophagy controlled by AMPK and/or PGC-1α signaling pathways. Here, we propose potential treatments for SOB by modulating autophagy activity and gut dysbiosis based on plausible pathological links.

In this paper, PI (Power Integrity) performance of interposer package-on-package (POP) is analyzed with respect to types of package decoupling capacitors and relative location of package decoupling capacitors to CPU (Central Processing Unit) PDN (Power Distribution Network) of package. Packages with the decoupling capacitor within SOC package substrate, and that on bottom ball land side are being analyzed and compared in terms of system-level core PDN impedance. Moreover, decoupling capacitor’s placement with respect to that of CPU cores are being analyzed. In addition to the PI performance improvement of the package using decoupling capacitor, the system-level PI performance were analyzed and improved through co-optimization of on-chip PDN.

This study was conducted to investigate if taurine supplementation stimulates the induction of thermogenic genes in fat tissues and muscles and decipher the mechanism by which taurine exerts its anti-obesity effect in a mildly obese ICR (CD-1&reg, ) mouse model. Three groups of ICR mice were fed a normal chow diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with 2% taurine in drinking water for 28 weeks. The expression profiles of various genes were analyzed by real time PCR in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT), inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), and the quadriceps muscles of the experimental groups. Genes that are known to regulate thermogenesis like PGC-1&alpha, UCP-1, Cox7a1, Cox8b, CIDE-A, and &beta, 1-, &beta, 2-, and &beta, 3-adrenergic receptors (&beta, ARs) were found to be differentially expressed in the three tissues. These genes were expressed at a very low level in iWAT as compared to BAT and muscle. Whereas, HFD increased the expression of these genes. Taurine supplementation stimulated the expression of UCP-1, Cox7a1, and Cox8b in BAT and only Cox7a1 in muscle, while there was a decrease in iWAT. In contrast, fat deposition-related genes, monoamine oxidases (MAO)-A, and -B, and lipin-1, were decreased by taurine supplementation only in iWAT and not in BAT or muscle. In conclusion, the potential anti-obesity effects of taurine may be partly due to upregulated thermogenesis in BAT, energy metabolism of muscle, and downregulated fat deposition in iWAT.

Background The differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) into osteoblasts (OBs) is a prerequisite for bone formation. However, little is known about the definitive surface markers for OBs during osteogenesis. Methods To study the surface markers on OBs, we generated and used monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against surface molecules on transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-treated cancer cells. The generated MAbs were further selected toward expression changes on hMSCs cultured with TGF-β1/bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or osteogenic differentiation medium (ODM) by flow cytometry. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry were performed to identify target antigens of selected MAbs. Expression changes of the target antigens were evaluated in hMSCs, human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs), and human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) during osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and flow cytometry. hMSCs were also sorted by the MAbs using magnetic-activated cell sorting system, and osteogenic potential of sorted cells was evaluated via Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining and qPCR. Results The binding reactivity of MR14-E5, one of the MAbs, was downregulated in hMSCs with ODM while the binding reactivity of ER7-A7, ER7-A8, and MR1-B1 MAbs was upregulated. Mass spectrometry and overexpression identified that MR14-E5, ER7-A7/ER7-A8, and MR1-B1 recognized integrin α2, α3, and αV, respectively. Upon osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs, the expression of integrin α2 was drastically downregulated, but the expression of integrin α3 and αV was upregulated in accordance with upregulation of osteogenic markers. Expression of integrin α3 and αV was also upregulated in hPDLCs and hDPCs during osteogenic differentiation. Cell sorting showed that integrin αV-high hMSCs have a greater osteogenic potential than integrin αV-low hMSCs upon the osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Cell sorting further revealed that the surface expression of integrin αV is more dramatically induced even in integrin αV-low hMSCs. Conclusion These findings suggest that integrin α3 and αV induction is a good indicator of OB differentiation. These findings also shed insight into the expression dynamics of integrins upon osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs and provide the reason why different integrin ligands are required for OB differentiation of hMSCs.

Adiponectin is the richest adipokine in human plasma, and it is mainly secreted from white adipose tissue. Adiponectin circulates in blood as high-molecular, middle-molecular, and low-molecular weight isoforms. Numerous studies have demonstrated its insulin-sensitizing, anti-atherogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, decreased serum levels of adiponectin is associated with chronic inflammation of metabolic disorders including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis. However, recent studies showed that adiponectin could have pro-inflammatory roles in patients with autoimmune diseases. In particular, its high serum level was positively associated with inflammation severity and pathological progression in rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. Thus, adiponectin seems to have both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. This indirectly indicates that adiponectin has different physiological roles according to an isoform and effector tissue. Knowledge on the specific functions of isoforms would help develop potential anti-inflammatory therapeutics to target specific adiponectin isoforms against metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases. This review summarizes the current roles of adiponectin in metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases.

Introduction. Medical improvements have allowed hemophilia patients to anticipate an increased quality of life and life expectancy similar to that of the general population. Analysis of the potential disease symptoms of hemophilia patients based on a survey of Sasang Constitutional Medicine (SCM) is important for optimal preventive care and adjunctive therapy to avoid life-threating complications. Aim. To predict potential disease symptoms from the viewpoint of SCM as a preventive care strategy for hemophilia patients. Methods. Sixty-one hemophilia patients responded to a survey on Sasang constitutional classification, hemophilia disease pattern, and original symptoms. Results. In terms of SCM type, the 61 of hemophilia patients included 37 Tae-Eum (60.7%), 18 So-Yang (29.5%), and 6 So-Eum (12.5%). Hemophilia was found to be higher in Tae-Eum type and lower in So-Yang and So-Eum types, while considering the distributional rate of Korean Sasang types. Most of the patients with Tae-Eum type had Joyeol or Ganyeol. Furthermore, the incidences of diabetes and high blood pressure were greater in Tae-Eum type than in those of other types. Conclusion. In order to increase the quality of life and overall life expectancy, hemophilia patients with Tae-Eum type should be treated through management according to SCM along with medicine against hemophilia as long-term preventive care. Diabetes and high blood pressure should be regularly monitored in patients with Tae-Eum type.

Background Different adiponectin isoforms appear to be differentially involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The purpose of this study was to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to different adiponectin isoforms and investigate whether these mAbs have potential as therapeutic agents for such diseases. Methods Hybridoma cells producing monoclonal antibodies were generated and screened using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting for the production of mAbs recognizing human adiponectin isoforms. Results The mAb from hybridoma clone KH7–41 recognized both the middle molecular weight (MMW) (hexamer) and low molecular weight (LMW) (trimer) isoforms of adiponectin in human serum, whereas the KH7–33 mAb detected only MMW (hexamer) adiponectin. The KH4–8 clone recognized both the high molecular weight (HMW) (multimer) and MMW adiponectin isoforms. However, in mouse and rat sera, the abovementioned antibodies recognized only the MMW isomer. These mAbs also recognized adiponectin in various human tissues, such as lung, kidney, and adipose tissues, although the three mAbs had different staining intensities. The mAb from clone KH4–8 effectively inhibited increases in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 expression in recombinant adiponectin-stimulated human osteoblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Also, the mAbs KH7–33 and KH4–8 significantly ameliorated rheumatic symptoms in a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model. This result suggests that these mAb treatments may ameliorate adiponectin-mediated inflammatory response. Conclusions mAbs against human adiponectin isomers can potentially be developed as therapeutic antibodies to target specific detrimental isoforms of adiponectin while maintaining the functions of beneficial isoforms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13075-018-1736-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The effect of succinonitrile (SN) additive on cycle life at room temperature is performed with 18650 type cylindrical cell including Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2 and graphite. It is clearly investigated that the capacity degrades during cycling at room temperature with adding SN additive. In particular, the capacity of the cell with 1.5 wt % SN dramatically decreases from 60 cycles and by 45% of initial capacity after 100 cycles. Through analyzing cycled cells with different amount of SN additive using XRD and ICP-OES measurement, the amount of irreversible Li increases depending on the amount of SN additive and the number of cycling. The results of SEM and XPS measurement provide that the increased irreversible Li appears as a film-type reactant on the surface of anode electrode and it consists of components related with C-C, CO3, and Li. These analysis results verify that the SN additive affects generation of Li-carbonate species deposition and irreversible Li leads to a degradation of capacity.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) attract much attention for applications to organic light-emitting diodes, field-effect transistors, and photovoltaic cells. The current synthetic approaches to PAHs involve high-temperature flash pyrolysis or complicated step-by-step organic reactions, which lead to low yields of PAHs. Herein, we report a facile and scalable synthesis of PAHs, which is carried out simply by flowing acetylene gas into zeolite under mild heating, typically at 400 °C and generates the products of 0.30 g g–1 zeolite. PAHs are synthesized via acetylene polymerization inside Ca2+-ion-exchanged Linde type A (LTA) zeolite, of which the α-cage puts a limit on the product molecular size as a confined-space nanoreactor. The resultant product after the removal of the zeolite framework exhibits brilliant white fluorescence emission in N-methylpyrrolidone solution. The product is separated into four different color emitters (violet, blue, green, and orange) by column chromatography. Detailed char...

Zeolite-templated carbon, having a three-dimensional graphene-like ordered microporous structure with high electrical conductivity, is a fascinating anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report an extremely high Li capacity of 2950 mA h g–1 (equivalent to Li1.3/C), which is 7.9 times the maximum capacity of graphite, Li/C6. This is equivalent to the crowded packing of 20 Li+ per pore with 0.9 nm diameter. Approximately 59% of the capacity was reversible. According to the characterizations by electron energy loss spectroscopy, 7Li NMR, and 13C NMR, most of the Li species existed as Li+ within the carbon micropores. Contrary to the often-made assumption, only a small amount of solid–electrolyte interphase layers was detected at the external surface of the carbon particles but not inside the micropores. The anomalously high Li capacity is attributed to the extremely narrow pore environment, where Li+ would be difficult to be fully solvated. Tailoring of the carbon pores to a subnanometric ra...

Hierarchical porous carbon prepared with calcium-containing nanocrystalline beta zeolite as the template and ethylene as the carbon source at a relatively low carbonization temperature (600 °C) displayed excellent electrocapacitive properties. The presence of both micro/mesopores and surface oxygen-containing groups on the ordered porous structure, along with a high specific surface area (2280 m2 g−1) and pore volume (1.95 cm3 g−1) coupled with good wettability towards the electrolyte enabled the carbon to perform well as a supercapacitor electrode. This carbon electrode achieved a specific capacitance of 250 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 with 1 M H2SO4 as the aqueous electrolyte measured in a three-electrode system. A symmetric capacitor fabricated with the carbon as both electrodes exhibited a specific capacitance of 161 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, and an excellent cycling stability. After being cycled 17 000 times and shelved for another two months, the electrode exhibited a specific capacitance of 246 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, 153% of the initial capacitance, and still maintained an excellent cycle stability. Besides, an all-solid-state supercapacitor cell fabricated with this carbon as both electrodes and polyvinyl alcohol/H2SO4 gel as the electrolyte displayed an areal specific capacitance of 413 mF cm−2 at a current density of 0.25 mA cm−2.

Background Blocking the formation and invasive growth of pannus and its secretion of inflammatory cytokines and MMPs is important for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Hypothesis/Purpose Anti-arthritic activity of Aralia continentalis Kitag., an oriental herbal medicine, and the underlying mechanisms involved were investigated. Study Design Anti-inflammatory and anti-nocicpetive activities of the ethanolic extract (50% v/v) of Aralia continentalis Kitag. harvested from Imsil, Korea (ACI) were investigated in IL-1β-stimulated human fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) cells and rodent models of collagen-induced polyarthritis and carrageenan-induced acute paw pain. Methods In IL-1β-stimulated FLS cells derived from rheumatoid arthritis patients, the anti-inflammatory activity of ACI was examined by analyzing the expression levels of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, PGE2, and COX-2 using ELISA and RT-PCR analysis. The anti-arthritic activity of ACI was investigated by measuring body weight, squeaking score, paw volume, and arthritis index in collagen-induced polyarthritis mice. The anti-nociceptive activity of ACI was examined in the paw-pressure test and Tail-flick latency test in rats. Results The ethanolic extract (50% v/v) of ACI reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, MMP-1, and MMP-13 secreted by IL-1β-stimulated FLS cells, whereas MMP-3, COX-2, and PGE2 were not significantly affected. ACI inhibited the migration of NF-κB into the nucleus through the inhibition of ERK- and JNK-dependent MAP kinase pathways in IL-1β-stimulated FLS cells. In collagen-induced polyarthritis mice, oral administration of ACI extract (200 mg/kg) significantly alleviated arthritic behaviors. Histological observations of arthritic mouse knees were consistent with their behaviors. The anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory activities of 200 mg/kg ACI extract were comparable to those of 10 mg/kg prednisolone when administered to mice. However, ACI administration did not significantly affect carrageenan-induced hyperalgesia or thermal nociception in rats. Conclusion These results suggest that the ethanolic extract of ACI have significant anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects in a rodent arthritis model and in IL-1β-stimulated FLS cells. Thus, ACI may be a useful candidate for developing pharmaceuticals or dietary supplements for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis.

Silicon slot waveguide intersections are necessary for photonic-integrated circuits based on silicon slot waveguides. We theoretically investigate a compact silicon slot waveguide intersection, which consists of mode transformers and a multimode strip waveguide crossing. The mode transformer before the crossing converts the slot waveguide mode into strip waveguide modes with amplitudes and phases appropriate for efficient operation of the crossing, which is based on multimode interference. The reverse conversion happens in the mode transformer after the crossing. The investigated intersection has a throughput of -0.078 dB, a crosstalk of -41 dB, and a footprint of 79.2 μm2. Its properties are better than those of previous silicon slot waveguide intersections, and especially its footprint is less than 33% of the previous ones. The intersection may be used for matrix switches based on silicon slot waveguides.

We develop a process of fabricating silicon waveguides and devices using a bulk silicon substrate. The fabrication process mainly consists of one silicon dry etching and one silicon wet etching. The use of silicon wet etching makes the process simple and inexpensive. Because of the anisotropic nature of silicon wet etching, the bulk-silicon-based (BSB) waveguide made by the process consists of an inverted-trapezoidal core on a rectangular pedestal and a trapezoidal base beneath the pedestal. In addition, geometrically smooth BSB waveguide bends can be achieved when the radii of curvature of the bends are sufficiently large. The propagation loss of the BSB waveguide depends on wet etching conditions and it is 4.0 or 0.79 dB/cm for transverse-magnetic polarization. It is confirmed that the minimum radius of curvature of the BSB waveguide bend is 500 μm. The BSB waveguides and bends are expected to be used to implement low-cost sensors with simple geometry.

The in-situ XRD and ex-situ solid state NMR analysis are performed as well as electrochemical measurements to understand transfer properties of Li ion. Capacities of blended anode increased with increasing silicon carbon nano composite content and voltage profiles are differentiated with each other. In-situ XRD experiments reveal that structural changes of graphite are retarded as silicon carbon nano composite contents increased. 7Li NMR spectra are measured for blended anodes with different state of discharging and as a result, silicon is discharged prior to graphite at the initial stage of discharging. Moreover, asymmetric behaviors of structural changes between discharging and charging process are explained by comparison with 7Li NMR spectra of anodes at 20% of state of discharge during discharging and charging. Capacity fade of blended anode is investigated with NMR measurement on the different state of health and it is found that portions of graphite and silicon’s faded capacities are differently evolved during calendar life and degraded.