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The manufacturing companies under Make-To-Order (MTO) production environment face highly variable requirements of the customers. It makes them difficult to establish preemptive production strategy through inventory management and demand forecasting. Therefore, the ability to establish an optimal production schedule that incorporates the various requirements of the customers is emphasized as the key success factor.In this study, we suggest a process of designing the simulation model for establishing production schedule and apply this model to the case of a flat glass processing company. The flat glass manufacturing industry is under MTO production environment. Academic research of flat glass industry is focused on minimizing the waste in the cutting process. In addition, in the practical view, the flat glass manufacturing companies tend to establish the production schedule based on the intuition of production manager and it results in failure of meeting the due date. Based on these findings, the case study aims to present the process of drawing up a production schedule through simulation modeling. The actual data of Korean flat glass processing company were used to make a monthly production schedule. To do this, five scenarios based on dispatching rules are considered and each scenario is evaluated by three key performance indicators for delivery compliance. We used B2MML (Business To Manufacturing Markup Language) schema for integrating manufacturing systems and simulations are carried out by using SIMIO simulation software. The results provide the basis for determining a suitable production schedule from the production manager's perspective.

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) is rare and difficult to diagnose before surgery. We report a case of BMPM incidentally discovered during laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS) for treatment of a pelvic mass. A 47-year-old Korean menopaused woman presented to our outpatient clinic with a pelvic mass. She had a history of right ovary cystectomy with adhesiolysis at a local hospital in 2010. Imaging study of the pelvis revealed a multilocular cystic mass. LESS was performed and multiple grapelike clusters of cysts were seen in the uterus, cul-de-sac, both adnexa, pelvic wall, and omentum. The appendix was grossly free. Frozen biopsy confirmed BMPM. Excision of multiple cyst clusters of cysts, resection of the uterus with both adnexa, appendectomy, omentectomy, and adhesiolysis were performed with LESS. She is well for 2 years with no recurrence. BMPM should be included in the differential diagnosis when small multichamber cystic mass is found on ultrasonography.

The focus of this study is on a multi-scale and multi-physics nuclear safety analysis method for main steam line break (MSLB) accidents. The indirect coupled code MASTER/CUPID using MASTER DLL was combined directly with MARS to form MASTER/CUPID/MARS. Whereas MASTER is a three-dimensional neutronics code, CUPID is a three-dimensional thermal-hydraulics code and MARS is a one-dimensional nuclear system analysis code. The coupled MASTER/CUPID/MARS code is applied to the analysis of a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) MSLB accident, and the calculation indicates that the proposed four-step method for the CUPID/MARS multi-scale analysis is also valid for the multi-scale and multi-physics safety analysis using the MASTER/CUPID/MARS code. It can also provide enough information to analyze the nuclear safety of such conventional time-dependent variables for 1-D reactor components and the three-dimensional temperature distribution for the 3-D reactor pressure vessel.

Nitrogen (N2)-plasma treatment and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) passivation were carried out to stabilize the electrical properties of parallel-aligned tin-dioxide (SnO2)-nanowire field-effect transistors. Treatment led to a positive shift in the threshold voltage, Vth, with a reduction in the hysteresis in the transfer curves of more than 30% compared to the case without treatment. Passivation was carried using a PMMA coating to prevent changes in the electrical properties over time. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy were employed to determine the chemical mechanisms that resulted in the changes in the electrical properties over time, those changes being attributed to the recombination of oxygen vacancies and carbon contaminants on the surface of the SnO2 nanowires with oxygen in the ambient air.

Purpose Preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) has become the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, 15%-30% of patients still progress while being treated with CRT. The aim of this study was to identify as important biomarker of poor response and evaluate the mechanism associated with CRT resistance. Methods This study included 60 human colon tumour pre-irradiation specimens. Expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p53, Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), C-ern, Ki67 were assessed and correlated with tumor regression grades and complete remission. We added in vitro study with biomarker which has been identified as important biomarker of poor response to evaluate the mechanism associated with CRT resistance. Results Pathologic complete remission (pCR) was achieved by 9 patients (18%). EGFR and KLF5 were significantly associated with pCR (P = 0.048, P = 0.023, respectfully). And multivariate analysis showed high KLF5 intensity was worse factor for pCR (P = 0.012). In vitro study, radiation or chemotherapy therapy stabilized KLF5 protein levels in a time- and dose-depended manner in HCT116 and Caco-2 cells. KLF5 overexpression in HCT116 stable cell line showed significantly better cell viability by increasing cyclinD1 and b-catenin compared to control cells in MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, suggesting that KLF5 mediates cell survival. Conclusion KLF5 was significantly associated with the presence of KRAS mutations, and KLF5 was an independent poor response predictor of CRT in rectal cancer. Our study is pilot study and more research will be needed in the future.

A multiscale material defect simulation established to evaluate neutron induced damages on metals is applied to an estimation of material degradation in helium cooled molten lithium blankets in which four different spectral shifter materials are examined as a means of maximizing the tritium breeding ratio through proper shaping of the neutron spectrum. The multiscale system consists of a Monte Carlo neutron transport code, a recoil spectrum generation code, a molecular dynamics code, a high energy cascade breakup model, an object kinetic Monte Carlo code, and a simple formula as the shear stress estimator. The average recoil energy of the primary knock-on atoms, the total concentration of the defects, average defect sizes, and the increase in shear stress after a certain irradiation time are calculated for each spectral shifter. Among the four proposed materials of B4C, Be, Graphite and TiC, B4C reveals the best shielding performance in terms of neutron radiation hardening. The result for the increase in shear stress after 100 days of irradiation indicates that the increased shear stress is 1.5 GPa for B4C which is about 40% less than that of the worst one, the graphite spectral shifter. The other damage indicators show consistent trends.

Anthocyanins (Acys), polyphenols, and antioxidants were extracted from raspberry (Rubus Coreanus Miq.) using a highly efficient microwave-assisted extraction technique. Different solvents, including methanol, ethanol, and acetone, were tested. The colors of the extracts varied from light yellow to purple red or dark red. SEM and other nutrient analyses verified that ethanol was the most favorable medium for the microwave-assisted extraction of raspberry due to its high output and low toxicity. Effects of process parameters, including microwave power, irradiation time, and solvent concentration, were investigated through response surface methodology. Canonical analysis estimated that the highest total Acys content, total polyphenols content, and antioxidant activity of raspberry were 17.93 mg cyanidin-3-O-glucoside equivalents per gram dry weight, 38.57 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram dry weight, and 81.24%, respectively. The polyphenol compositions of raspberry extract were identified by HPLC with diode array detection, and nine kinds of polyphenols were identified and quantified, revealing that chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, and rutin are the major polyphenols contained in raspberry fruits. Compared with other fruits and vegetables, raspberry contains higher Acy and polyphenol contents with stronger antioxidant activity, suggesting that raspberry fruits are a good source of natural food colorants and antioxidants.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-atopic-dermatitis effect of Angelica keiskei extract using a DNFB-induced animal model of atopic-dermatitis symptoms. A. keiskei was prepared via extraction with DW, 50% ethanol, and 100% ethanol in addition to fresh juice. All the extracts reduced the thickness levels of the ears and ear epidermis against swelling by DNFB inducement, especially in the aqueous-extract-treated group. The mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), however, were not observed, which may indicate that Angelica keiskei extract alleviates the atopic-dermatitis symptoms in an MMP-independent manner. Finally, the level of the inflammatory cytokine IL-4 was inhibited only in the juice-treated group, although the IL-13 level was inhibited in the juice-, 50%-ethanol-extract-, and 100%-ethanol-extract-treated groups in a dose-dependent manner, and was not inhibited in the aqueous-extract-treated group. Taken together, these results suggest that Angelica keiskei extract has an inhibitory effect on atopic dermatitis, and may be a useful biomaterial for the development of cosmeceuticals.

The effect of neutron spectrum on primary damages in a structural material of a tritium breeding blanket is investigated with a newly established recoil spectrum estimation system. First, a recoil spectrum generation code is developed to obtain the energy spectrum of primary knock-on atoms (PKAs) for a given neutron spectrum utilizing the latest ENDF/B data. Secondly, a method for approximating the high energy tail of the recoil spectrum is introduced to avoid expensive molecular dynamics calculations for high energy PKAs using the concept of recoil energy of the secondary knock-on atoms originated by the INtegration of CAScades (INCAS) model. Thirdly, the modified spectrum is combined with a set of molecular dynamics calculation results to estimate the primary damage parameters such as the number of surviving point defects. Finally, the neutron spectrum is varied by changing the material of the spectral shifter and the result in primary damage parameters is examined.

To investigate the anti-diabetic activity of ethanol and aqueous peel and seed extracts obtained from three different grape species (Cambell Early, MBA, and Kyoho), alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity was examined. All extracts showed anti-diabetic activity, especially aqueous extract exhibited inhibitory effect above 70%. Thus, we used aqueous extract to check the potential hypoglycemic effects in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice model. The results showed that the blood glucose level of STZ-induced diabetic mice decreased drastically after 3 hr when the aqueous extract of Cambell Early seed was treated to the mice model. The aqueous extract of Kyoho seed lessened blood glucose level by 60%. Together, these data indicate that extracts of grape peel and seed (aqueous or ethanol) may have potential in improving hypoglycemic effects in the diabetic symptoms, suggesting that further investigation on biomarker expressions should be rewarding.

The optimum conditions for the extraction of bioactive alkaloids and antioxidants from rhizome coptidis were determined by using response surface methodology (RSM). A small central composite design (SCD) was employed to investigate the effect of 3 process variables such as extraction time (3–7 h), ethanol concentration (0–100%), and solvent to sample ratio (25–45 mL/g) during extraction process. Analysis of variance showed a high significance of fitted model which indicated the model is reliable for prediction. The optimal conditions for alkaloids and antioxidant ability were obtained using ridge analysis, and under the optimum conditions the corresponding predicted response values for berberine content, palmatine content, and antioxidant ability were 747.2 μg berberine chloride equivalent/mL, 168.34 μg palmatine chloride equivalent/mL, and 2.99 mmol/L Trolox equivalent, respectively, which well agreed with predicted values, indicating the success of RSM in optimizing the extraction conditions.

Alkaloids, a group of second metabolites from plants, possess great health benefits against various chronic diseases. Rhizome coptidis (Coptis chinensis Franch) is a commonly used traditional Chinese herb that contains abundant alkaloids but rarely used. In the present study, the effects of process variables on alkaloid content from rhizome coptidis were investigated, and extraction temperature above 80°C was found to have insignificant effect. To achieve maximal extraction of alkaloids from rhizome coptidis, a five-level, three-variable small composite design was employed, and optimal conditions of extraction time, ethanol concentration, and solvent to sample ratio were obtained using response surface methodology. Based on the analysis of variance results, extraction time, and solvent to sample ratio were identified as critical variables in extraction process, and the optimum extraction conditions were an extraction time of 133 min, ethanol concentration of 45%, and solvent to sample ratio of 42 v/w, and under these conditions, the experimental total alkaloid content was 15.96±0.15 g BCE/100 g, which well matched with the predicted value.

Supercritical CO 2 pretreatment before dehydration leads to a faster dehydration rate. The best supercritical CO 2 pretreatment conditions for the most effective dehydration were 45 o C, 25 MPa and 55 o C, 25 MPa. Increasing pressure of the supercritical CO 2 pretreatment system tended to accelerate the dehydration rate more than increas-ing temperature did. Samples pretreated at higher temperatures and pressures showed greater shrinking and pore distribution on scanning electron microscopy. Control samples maintained their cell walls, whereas samples pre-treated at higher temperatures and pressures showed more cell disruption, and more pores were observed. Pore sizes of control and pretreated samples were about 100 and 70～80 μm, respectively. Samples pretreated at higher temperatures and pressures had smaller pores and a denser distribution. Key words: dehydration, pretreatment, rehydration, supercritical carbon dioxide  

The juice of “Campbell Early” grapes was analyzed to assess the effect of heating under low vacuum pressure on the inhibition of polyphenoloxidase (PPO), the enzyme that catalyzes browning reactions in grape juice. Treatment of grapes by heating under low vacuum pressure of 200–600 mmHg significantly inhibited the activity of PPO. Up to 82.15% reduction in the enzyme activity was observed in the grape juice by heating “Campbell Early” grapes at 65C for 20 min under 600 mmHg vacuum pressure. The vacuum heating of grapes also resulted in a significant increase in total phenols and total sugars in the grape juice, which also had improved sensory properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Vacuum heating enables us to attain the desired quality attributes during processing of fruits and vegetables at reduced temperature. Our study revealed that it not only deactivated polyphenoloxidase in grape juice but also increased other functional and sensory characteristics. Vacuum heating can be effectively applied in the fruits and vegetables processing industry for prevention of enzymatic browning as an alternate to the use of chemical preservatives and more costly enzyme inactivation techniques such as pulse electric fields.

Functional phenolic compounds were extracted from Chinese quince using highly efficient ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) technology. The experiment was carried out in accordance with a small central composite design (SCCD) five-level and three-variable approach. The optimum combination of solvent concentration, extraction temperature and time with the application of ultrasonic, for the maximum extraction of phenolic compounds from Chinese quince, was obtained by response surface methodology. Responses of phenolic compounds such as total phenolics, total flavonoids, and total flavan-3-ols were determined by the spectrophotometer assay. High significance of each response revealed that this SCCD model well-fitted the experimental parameters as well as the reliability of the predicted value. The optimal UAE conditions obtained by superimposed contour plot were 50% ethanol concentration, 63.9°C extraction temperature, and extraction time 11.4 min. Under the above-mentioned conditions, the experimental results for three responses were total phenolic content 2367.16 mg gallic acid equivalents /100 g, total flavonoid content 544.12 mg rutin equivalents /100 g, and total flavan-3-ols content 709.07 mg catechin equivalents /100 g, which well-matched with the predicted values. The optimal conditions attained from the present study would provide scientific references to economical production of relative phenolic compounds products.

article i nfo Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was applied for the extraction of valuable compounds from grape (Vitis labrusca B.) peel. Extraction was carried out according to an orthogonal array design (OAD) and independent variables selected were temperature, pressure and modifier concentration. SFE process was optimized by using response surface methodology (RSM) for the extract yield, total phenols, antioxidants and total anthocyanins from grape peel. Effects of extraction temperature and pressure were found to be significant on all responses. Optimal SFE conditions were identified as 45-46 °C temperature, 160-165 kg cm �2 pressure and 6-7% ethanol as modifier for maximum extract yield (12.31%), total phenols (2.156 mg GAE/100 mL), antioxidants (1.628 mg/mL) and total anthocyanins (1.176 mg/mL). Experimental values for response variables at these optimal conditions match well with the predicted values. Grape peel extracts obtained by SFE showed more than 93% DPPH radical scavenging activities. Industrial relevance: This study describes the response surface optimization of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) process for the enhanced recovery of total phenols, antioxidant and anthocyanins from grape peel. SFE uses CO2 as supercritical fluid which is environment friendly solvent; allows extraction at lower temperature and the extracts obtained possess higher quality and safety. Industrially, it may be used as a promising technique for the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials.

Objective To evaluate the significance of fetal Doppler parameters in predicting adverse neonatal outcomes and the risk of cesarean delivery due to non-reassuring fetal status, in severe small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses of late preterm and term gestation. Methods Fetal brain and umbilical artery (UmA) Doppler parameters of cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) and UmA pulsatility index (PI) were evaluated in a cohort of 184 SGA fetuses between 34 and 41 weeks gestational age, who were less than the 5th percentile. The risks of neonatal morbidities and cesarean delivery due to non-reassuring fetal status were analyzed. Results Univariate analysis revealed that abnormal CPR was significantly associated with cesarean delivery due to non-reassuring fetal status (P=0.018), but not with neonatal morbidities. However, abnormal CPR did not increase the risk of cesarean delivery due to non-reassuring fetal status in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Abnormal CPR with abnormal PI of UmA was associated with low Apgar score at 1 minute (P=0.048), mechanical ventilation (P=0.013) and cesarean delivery due to non-reassuring fetal status (P

Active components in Chinese quince were extracted by using high efficient microwave-assisted extraction. In accordance with central composited design, 20 runs with 3 variables and 5 levels applied for the optimization in response surface methodology system. The extracts were analyzed by spectrophotometeric methods for the total flavonoids content (TFC), total phenolic compound (TPC) and electron donating ability (EDA). The optimum conditions obtained were 44.15% ethanol concentration, 5 min extraction time and 102.1 W microwave power for maximum TFC (477.8 mg RE/100 g), TPC (2249 mg GAE/100 g) and EDA (77.47%) as predicted by overlaid contour plots.

The viability of broccoli seeds and functional properties, such as ascorbic acid, carotenoid, chlorophyll, and total phenol contents, of broccoli sprouts grown from irradiated seeds were evaluated. The seeds were irradiated using electron beam and gamma ray at doses up to 8 kGy. High germination percentages (90%) were observed in seeds irradiated ator =4 kGy, but the yield ratio and sprout length decreased with increased irradiation dose. Irradiation ator =6 kGy resulted in curling of the sprout roots. Germinated seeds contained higher amounts of nutrients than raw seeds but the nutritional quality of sprouts decreased during postharvest storage. Radiation treatment hampered the growth of irradiated seeds resulting in underdeveloped sprouts with decreased ascorbic acid, carotenoid, and chlorophyll contents. In addition, the decrease in functional content of sprouts was more substantial in samples grown from high-dose (5 kGy) irradiated seeds than that of the low-dose (1 kGy) treated ones. Seed irradiation did not negatively affect the total phenol content of sprouts. In general, electron beam and gamma irradiation of broccoli seeds showed similar effects on the viability and functional properties of sprouts.

Functional components from Campbell Early grape peel were extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction technology. The experiments were carried out according to a five level, three variable central composite rotatable design. The best possible combinations of extraction variables were obtained for the maximum phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of grape peel extracts using response surface methodology. The optimal conditions include 53.14% ethanol, 46.03°C temperature and 24.03 min time for the maximum total phenolic compounds (6.70 mg GAE/ 100 mL) and 53.06% ethanol, 50.65°C temperature and 25.58 min time for the maximum antioxidant activity (555.90 mg/L). Under these conditions, the experimental total phenolics were 6.67 mg GAE/100 mL and antioxidant activity was 554.84 mg/L of the grape peel extract, which is well matched with the predicted values.

Summary This study was conducted to develop the powder material and investigate the various physico-chemical properties of protein-bound polysaccharide with different molecular weight from Agaricus blazei Murill using ultrafiltration and spray-drying process. Powder properties of the three spray-dried powders were very different based on their molecular weights. The inlet temperature had less influence than pump rate on particle size of spray-dried powders. The moisture content of powders was increased with increasing pump rate and decreasing inlet temperature. Among these powders, SD-1, the molecular weight of which is below 10 kDa, was less flowable by internal cohesion. The decomposition temperature for the powders was in the range of 200–400 °C and showed relatively good enough for their thermal stabilities.

Time-varying axial magnetic field of approximately 10–15 G is added to an inductively coupled plasma. High aspect ratio deep-sub-micron contact holes in borophosphosilicate glass have been etched by C 4 F 8 /Ar plasma. In order to correlate etched profile with etching conditions, deposition of polymeric precursors in the etching process is monitored. By means of the appearance mass spectroscopy, the distributions of CF x + ions and CF x radicals are measured as a function of the frequency of axial magnetic field. The axial magnetic field is found to influence the densities of fluorocarbon ions (CF x + ; x =1–3), F and CF x radicals. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that fluorocarbon polymer on oxide surface strongly varies with the frequency of axial magnetic field. 0.2 μm diameter contact holes with aspect ratio of 10 are successfully fabricated in this system.

We investigated whether a genomic demethylation process occurs in pig preimplantation embryos produced by either normal fertilization or somatic cell nuclear transfer. The methylation status of the centromeric satellite and the PRE-1 short interspersed element (SINE) sequences was characterized using bisulfite-sequencing technology. Typical demethylation processes were identified in these repetitive sequences of the cloned donor genome during cleavage, the patterns of which were similar to the ones detected in fertilized counterparts. These findings are different from previous observations with cloned bovine embryos where various repeated regions of the donor genome exhibited aberrant methylation patterns. Our results indicate that species-specific differences exist in modifying the epigenetic status of cloned donor genomes.

The p60 protein of Listeria is a major extra-cellular protein which is used as indicator for the detection of these bacteria from contaminated food samples. To produce p60 in Escherichia coli, the invasion associated protein (iap) gene of L. innocua Sv6b encoding p60 was cloned and over-expressed with expression vector pMAL-C2. Recombinant pMBP-iap/innocua was induced with IPTG in E. coli. The expressed recombinant p60 protein that was fused with a maltose-binding protein (MBP) was purified by amylose resin-based affinity chromatography. The purified recombinant p60 protein was also detected as denatured and neutralized form by using a specific p60 monoclonal antibody against L. monocytogenes and it may be useful for the production of L. innocua-specific antibody.

Summary form only given. Amorphous Hafnium-Indium-Zinc Oxide(a-HIZO) semiconductor materials are used to replace amorphous Gallium-Indium-Zinc Oxide(a-GIZO) as channel layer of thin film transistors (TFTs) to improve the stability of the electrical characteristics. However, research activities of a-HIZO etching process for the fabrication of TFTs have not been reported. In this work, we present the etching characteristics of HIZO stacked with photoresist using Cl2/Ar chemistry. Etching behaviours of HIZO have been investigated as a function of source power, bias power and pressure. As the Cl2 concentration increased from pure Ar, the etch rate of HIZO film was slightly different from the trend of GIZO film. Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM), Depth profile of the HIZO film by Auger Electronspectroscopy(AES) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy(XPS) of the etched surface was carried to investigate the etching mechanism as Cl2 increased. Additionally we tried to compare the etching mechanism of HIZO film with GIZO film to confirm the difference of chemical bonds caused by the influence of hafnium doping, estimated that the low chemical reaction between hafnium and Cl2 based plasma suppress the reactive ion etching.

The preoperative diagnosis of uterine torsion is very difficult due to the rarity of this disorder and its nonspecific clinical course. A primigravida woman visited our hospital with severe abdominal pain at 34 weeks of gestation. Emergency cesarean section was carried out due to development of fetal distress and severe abdominal pain. During the cesarean section, we noticed the uterus was rotated 180 degrees and the torsion was corrected after the delivery by making a vertical incision at the posterior uterine wall. High degree of suspicion and prompt management are important factors contributing to good prognosis of uterine torsion.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technique was applied and optimized for temperature, CO2 pressure and ethanol (modifier) concentration using orthogonal array design and response surface methodology for the extract yield, total phenols and antioxidants from grape (Vitis labrusca B.) seeds. Effects of extraction temperature and pressure were found to be significant for all these response variables in SFE process. Optimum SFE conditions (44 ~ 46 °C temperature and 153 ~ 161 bar CO2 pressure) along with ethanol (

To determine whether aqueous and ethanol frac- tions of the Angelica keiskei leaf exert toxicity when used for cosmetic purposes, we performed the acute eye irritancy test. Animals were treated with sample fractions (100 mg/dose) according to standard procedure guidelines. No significant changes or damage was detected in the fraction-treated groups in terms of ocular lesions in the cornea, the size of the cornea with turbidity, swelling of the eyelid and emission discharge. However, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, a positive control, induced severe toxic symptoms. Thus, aqueous and ethanol fractions of Angelica keiskei do not appear to induce acute toxicity in the eye lens, as assessed from anatomical and pathological observations in the rabbit eye. Our results collec- tively suggest that aqueous and ethanol fractions show promise as cosmetic ingredients that do not cause eye toxicity.

The optimum extraction conditions for the maximum recovery of total alkaloid content (TAC), berberine content (BC), palmatine content (PC), and the highest antioxidant capacity (AC) from rhizoma coptidis subjected to ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) were determined using response surface methodology (RSM). Central composite design (CCD) with three variables and five levels was employed, and response surface plots were constructed in accordance with a second order polynomial model. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the quadratic model was well fitted and significant for responses of TAC, BC, PC, and AA. The optimum conditions obtained through the overlapped contour plot were as follows: ethanol concentration of 59%, extraction time of 46.57min, and temperature of 66.22°C. Verification experiment was carried out, and no significant difference was found between observed and estimated values for each response, suggesting that the estimated models were reliable and valid for UAE of alkaloids.

Phytochemicals in some foods are a potential source of bioactive safe compounds for cancer chemoprevention and suppression of tumor initiation, promotion, and metastasis. In the present study, we evaluated hot water (HWE), microwaved 50% ethanol (MWE), acidic (ACE), and alkaline (AKE) extracts of the fruitbody (sporocarp) of Hericium erinaceus (Yamabushitake, Lion's Mane) mushrooms for their ability to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in U937 human monocytic leukemia cells. Cell culture, cell viability, cytotoxicity, flow cytometry, chromosomal DNA integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, and activation and inhibition of caspase assays were carried out to help define the mechanism of observed apoptosis. The aqueous and aqueous/ethanolic extracts were active in all assays, whereas the acidic and alkaline extracts with the similar proximate compositions were both inactive. The results of the bioassays with the active extracts are consistent with an apoptosis mechanism governing suppression of the cell proliferation pathway that involves activation of mitochondria-mediated caspase-3 and caspase-9 but not caspase-8. Proximate analysis of the freeze-dried mushroom powder showed that it contains high amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals. The results indicate that H. erinaceus mushrooms may have therapeutic potential against human leukemia.

Important functional components from Campbell Early grape seed were extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technology. The experiments were carried out according to a five level, three variable central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The best possible combinations of ethanol concentration, extraction temperature, and extraction time with the application of ultrasound were obtained for the maximum extraction of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities, and anthocyanins from grape seed by using response surface methodology (RSM). Process variables had significant effect on the extraction of functional components with extraction time being highly significant for the extraction of phenolics and antioxidants. The optimal conditions obtained by RSM for UAE from grape seed include 53.15% ethanol, 56.03 degrees C temperature, and 29.03 min time for the maximum total phenolic compounds (5.44 mg GAE/100 mL); 53.06% ethanol, 60.65 degrees C temperature, and 30.58 min time for the maximum antioxidant activity (12.31 mg/mL); and 52.35% ethanol, 55.13 degrees C temperature, and 29.49 min time for the maximum total anthocyanins (2.28 mg/mL). Under the above-mentioned conditions, the experimental total phenolics were 5.41 mg GAE/100 mL, antioxidant activity was 12.28 mg/mL, and total anthocyanins were 2.29 mg/mL of the grape seed extract, which is well matched with the predicted values.

A powder mixture of Ti and Ni was sintered by spark-plasma sintering (SPS). Three kinds of (Ti+Ni) powder mixture were prepared with a different combination of starting materials (A, B, and C type). Sintering was carried out at 900 /spl deg/C for 5-30 min under a vacuum of 10/sup -3/ torr with an applied pressure of 50 MPa in the SPS facility. Changes in density and phase formation during the SPS process were observed. The shape memory effect was determined by DSC measurement. All three types of powder mixture showed a maximum densification rate in the temperature range of 500-600 /spl deg/C. In the early stage of sintering, powder mixture A showed a lower density compared to other mixtures. No SHS reaction was observed during the SPS process. Sintered density higher than 97% relative density was obtained from all powder mixtures. The sintered body consisted of B2 TiNi as the major phase and Ti/sub 2/Ni and TiNi/sub 3/ as minor phases. Average Ms and Af temperatures were 65 /spl deg/C and 110 /spl deg/C, respectively.

International audience; Various plasma treatment effects such as oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and argon (Ar) on amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) are investigated. To study oxygen stoichiometry in a-IGZO TFTs with respect to various plasma environments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed. The results showed that oxygen vacancies were reduced by O2 and N2 plasmas while they were increased after Ar plasma treatment. Additionally, the effects of plasma treatment on trap distribution in bulk and surface channels were explored by means of low-frequency noise analysis. Details of the mechanisms used for generating and restoring traps on the surface and bulk channel are presented.

We report the etching characteristics of a stacked hafnium–indium–zinc oxide (HIZO) with a photoresist using the gas mixture of chlorine and argon (Cl2/Ar). The etching behaviors of HIZO have been investigated in terms of a source power, a bias power and a chamber pressure. As the concentration of Cl2 was increased compared to pure Ar, the etch rate of HIZO film was found slightly different from that of indium–zinc oxide (IZO) film. Moreover, to investigate the etching mechanism systematically, various inspections were carried out such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depending on the portion of Cl2. Additionally, we compared the etching mechanism of HIZO film with IZO film to confirm the difference of chemical bonds caused by the influence of hafnium doping.

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Imatinib mesylate (Glivec, Gleevec, STI571) is highly effective in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Despite high rates of hematologic and cytogenetic responses to Glivec therapy, the emergence of resistance to Glivec has been recognized as a major problem in the treatment of CML. Those problems leaded us to search for novel therapy, combining curcumin with Glivec. Recently we reported that curcumin induced apoptosis via repression of p-AKT and activation of caspase-3. To investigate whether combination of curcumin with Glivec is more effective than Glivec alone, the expression of apoptosis related genes, such as Bcl-2 family, caspase-3, and its cell cycle proteins, such as p53, p21, cyclin D, cyclin A, cyclin B1 and PCNA were examined by western analysis in K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cell line. Our results showed that Bcl-2, -XL, and Bid were more down-regulated with combined treatment compared with single treatment controls (either Glivec or curcumin alone). Also, the activity of caspase 3 was 2-fold higher than compared with control groups. In western analysis, procaspase 3 was dramatically reduced with combined treatment. Also, cell cycle proteins except p53 were more down-regulated in combined treatment. For further investigation of the genes affected by combination therapy, DNA chip analysis was performed. The expression of candidate genes, which we selected in chip analysis, was confirmed using real-time PCR. Our result indicated that apoptosis related genes were up-regulated and cyclin D1 and cyclin A were down-regulated. Also, several genes (protein phosphatase 2C, ZNF272, protein-tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor 7 (PTPN7), SOCS2) were more down-regulated in combined treatment, showing 2-fold difference. Those genes may be associated with the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia. We suggest that their down-regulation by combined treatment was effective mainly via the induction of apoptosis. Taken together, our data suggested that combined treatment with curcumin could be effective to overcome the problems of Imatinib mesylate (Glivec, STI571) therapy.

Background : The correlation between the high resolution computed tomography(HRCT) emphysema score and the physiologic parameters including resting and exercise pulmonary function test was investigated in 14 patients( years) with pulmonary emphysema. Methods : The patients underwent a HRCT, a resting pulmonary function test, and incremental exercise testing(cycle ergometer, 10 W/min). Computed tomography scans were obtained on a GE highlight at 10 mm intervals using 10 mm collimation, from the apex to the base after a full inspiration. The emphysema scores were determined by a CT program 'Density mask' outlining the areas with attenuation values less than -900 HU, indicating the emphysema areas, and providing an overall percentage of lung involvement by emphysema. Results : Among the resting PFT parameters, only the diffusing capacity(r=-0.75) and (r=-0.66) correlated with the emphysema score(p-pulse(r=-0.73), and the physiologic dead space ratio at the maximum workload(r=-0.80)(p