Effects of polysaccharides and polyphenolics fractions of Zijuan tea (Camellia sinensis var. kitamura) on α‐glucosidase activity and blood glucose level and glucose tolerance of hyperglycaemic mice

The effects of polysaccharides, theaflavins, thearubigins and theabrownin fractions of Zijuan tea on α‐glucosidase and blood glucose level and intolerance of hyperglycaemic mice were evaluated. The polysaccharides or theaflavins fraction exhibited greater inhibition rate of α‐glucosidase than acarbose positive control, thearubigins fraction or theabrownin fraction. The four fractions were delivered to the treatment mice through oval gavage each day for 15 days. The mice in polysaccharides and theaflavins high‐ and low‐dose and theabrownin high‐dose treatments significantly lowered their blood glucose levels while all the treatment mice gained body weight. The mice in polysaccharides, theaflavins and theabrownin high‐ and low‐dose treatments had greater glucose tolerance as well. Thus, the theaflavins and polysaccharides fractions of Zijuan tea effectively moderated the complications of hyperglycaemic mice. The lower effectiveness of thearubigins and theabrownin fractions may be caused by the highly polymerised polyphenolics which decreased their accessibility to α‐glucosidase and digestibility in mice.     

Physical and thermal properties of l‐lactide/ϵ‐caprolactone copolymers: the role of microstructural design

Understanding the underlying role of microstructural design in polymers allows for the manipulation and control of properties for a wide range of specific applications. As such, this work focuses on the study of microstructure–property relationships in l‐ lactide/?‐caprolactone (LL/CL) copolymers. One‐step and two‐step bulk ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) procedures were employed to synthesize LL/CL copolymers of various compositions and chain microstructures. In the one‐step procedure, LL and CL were simultaneously copolymerized to yield P(LL‐stat‐CL) statistical copolymers. In the two‐step procedure, poly(l‐ lactide) (PLL) and poly(?‐caprolactone) (PCL) prepolymers were synthesized in the first step before CL and LL respectively were added in the second step to yield P[LL‐b‐(CL‐stat‐LL)‐b‐LL] and P[CL‐b‐(LL‐stat‐CL)‐b‐CL] block copolymers as the final products. The findings reveal that, in addition to the copolymerization procedure employed, the length and type of the prepolymer play important roles in determining the chain microstructure and thereby the overall properties of the final copolymer. Moreover, control over the degree of crystallinity and the type of crystalline domains, which is controlled during the polymer chemistry process, heavily influences the physical and mechanical properties of the final polymer. In summary, this work describes an interesting approach to the microstructural design of biodegradable copolymers of LL and CL for potential use in biomedical applications. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Doping manganese into CsPb(Cl/Br)3 quantum dots glasses: Dual-color emission and super thermal stability

CsPbX₃ (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (QDs) represent bright and tunable photoluminescence, it is regrettable that the air instability and poor water resistant properties prevent their application in optoelectronic devices. At the same time, the toxicity of lead is also a major factor restricting its development. As a consequence, we demonstrate the partial replacement of Pb with Mn through conventional melt-quenching and heat-treatment method preparation of Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)₃ QD glass. Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)₃ QD glass exhibits high luminescent intensity like QDs. It is important that Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)₃ QD glass with Dual-Color maintained the same lattice structure like Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)₃ QDs, and highly homogeneous spectral characteristics of Mn luminescence. The intensity and position of this Mn-related emission are also tunable by altering the experimental parameters, such as the Pb-to-Mn feed ratio, annealing temperature. More importantly, the as-prepared orange Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)₃ QD glass was employed to fabricate white LEDs combined with a commercial Ce³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ phosphor-in-glass (Ce-PiG) on top of a InGaN blue chip. And the constructed WLEDs generate a warm white with an optimal luminous efficacy (LE) of 67.00 lm/W, a high CRI of 81.4, and a low CCT of 4902 K.     

The 3-dimensional morphology of dendrite during equiaxed solidification of an Al-5 wt.% Cu alloy

In a sample quenched during equiaxed solidification of an Al-5 wt.% Cu alloy, the multi-scales 3-dimensional morphology of equiaxed dendrite was observed. The slim primary stem and secondary branches constitute the frame of dendrite, and rows of dense tertiary branches further divide the 3-dimensional space. In the divided space, the quartic branches grow further. The dendritic branches,which are perpendicular to each other, can change their growth directions and coalesce into a whole. In the tertiary branches and quartic branches, the formation of double branch structures is induced by competitive growth. The branch that wins in the competitive growth will produce a cabbage-like structure by wrapping the failed branches. In addition, the side branch can also wrap the original parent branch to produce cabbage-like structures. Depending on the historical growth direction, the dendritic arms can form vein-like and spicate structures, and the shapes of single dendritic arm may be the cylinder, plate and trapezoid platform. According to the compositions and etching morphology, the single dendritic arm in the final solidification structures should coalesce from a fine porous structure. The porous structures at different length-scales are principally induced by the preferential growth. Based on 3-dimensional morphology of equiaxed dendrite, a new research object for the investigation of microsegregation was suggested.     

Gamers,Surfers, Social Media Users: Unpacking the role of interest in English

Across stages of acquisition, second language (L2) competencies are contingent on the variation among individuals learning the language, in both informal and formal learning contexts. This study investigates a group of outliers whose extreme test scores serve as a foundation to examine them as individuals. The study addresses the outliers' characteristics as good L2 readers but poor first language (L1) readers. Combining quantitative (test results, survey, and language logs) and qualitative (focus groups and interviews) data among 21 adolescents in Norway (aged 16–17 years), the study identifies dimensions of individual language use in L1 Norwegian and L2 English. Findings revealed that they explained their English proficiency by the role of interest and their extensive use of English technology and tools outside school. In‐depth analysis identified three profiles: the Gamer, who spends up to 8 hr daily playing online games while using English mainly; the Surfer, who spends hours on the Internet, searching for authentic language situations, commonly involving English; and the Social Media User, who produces and consumes information in English through social media. Additionally, the Gamers read printed novels voluntarily outside the classroom. This study offers unique perspectives and new directions for future L2 research.     

Common due date assignment scheduling for a no-wait flowshop with convex resource allocation and learning effect

This article addresses the no-wait flowshop scheduling problem with simultaneous consideration of common due date assignment, convex resource allocation and learning effect in a two machine setting. The processing time of each job can be controlled by its position in a sequence and also by allocating extra resource, which is a convex function of the amount of a common continuously divisible resource allocated to the job. The objective is to determine the optimal common due date, the resource allocation and the schedule of jobs such that the total earliness, tardiness and common due date cost (the total resource consumption cost) are minimized under the constraint condition that the total resource consumption cost (the total earliness, tardiness and common due date cost) is limited. Polynomial time algorithms are developed for two versions of the problem.     

Dialogic weaving: a favorable tension between design and craft

Focusing on a process where a designer embeds herself in craftspeople’s workshops with the intention of ‘learning from inside’ and ‘making together’; this paper proposes pathways for considering collaboration between designers and craftspeople via digital fabrication and weaving. The tension of forces that make weaving possible, act as an analogy for this collaboration as well as providing the title of the project as ‘One Over, One Under’. The project proposes a mode of working and a spectrum of outcomes where the designer has a first-hand experience of production techniques, engages in a serious and continuous dialogue through making, and develops an intervention that also brings forth her own skill set (introducing digital fabrication and structural variations), thus transforming the conventions and boundaries between established roles and manufacturing techniques. An experiment that resulted in a series of objects considering both the technologies of production and the input of the designer, this process not only increases the potentials that crafts hold for the field of design, but it also offers possibilities of collaboration and a further articulation of the design act.