Synthesis and luminescence properties of reddish-orange-emitting Ca2GdNbO6:Sm3+ phosphors with good thermal stability for high CRI white applications

Novel reddish-orange-emitting Ca₂GdNbO₆:Sm³⁺ phosphors based on the emission of ⁴G_5/2 → ⁶H_9/2 transition at 651 nm with the chromatic coordinate of (0.633, 0.366) were synthesized. The crystal structure and chemical purity were identified in detail. Under the 407 nm excitation, the optimum concentration of Sm³⁺ ion was found to be 5 mol% dominated by the dipole-dipole interaction in the Ca₂GdNbO₆ host material. The color purity of the sample with optimum doping was estimated to be about 78.38%. Besides, the thermal stability was also studied, and it was further found that the emission intensity remained 65.32% at 423 K. The packaged white LED device exhibited excellent CRI and CCT values of 92.43 and 4896 K. Finally, the polydimethylsiloxane film with a stable structure and flexible property was prepared. These above results reveal that novel reddish-orange-emitting Ca₂GdNbO₆:Sm³⁺ phosphors can be applied in high CRI white communication and flexible display applications.     

Phenotypic Discovery of SB1501, an Anti-obesity Agent,through Modulating Mitochondrial Activity

Obesity has become a pandemic that threatens the quality of life and discovering novel therapeutic agents that can reverse obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders are necessary. Here, we aimed to identify new anti-obesity agents using a phenotype-based approach. We performed image-based high-content screening with a fluorogenic bioprobe (SF44), which visualizes cellular lipid droplets (LDs), to identify initial hit compounds. A structure-activity relationship study led us to yield a bioactive compound SB1501, which reduces cellular LDs in 3T3-L1 adipocytes without cytotoxicity. SB1501 induced the expression of gene products that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid oxidation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Daily treatment with SB1501 improved the metabolic states of db/db mice by reducing body fat mass, adipose tissue mass, food intake, and increasing glucose tolerance. The anti-obesity effect of SB1501 may result from perturbation of the PGC-1α–UCP1 regulatory axis in inguinal white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. These data suggest the therapeutic potential of SB1501 as an anti-obesity agent via modulating mitochondrial activities.     

Combination of vegetable soup and glucan demonstrates synergistic effects on macrophage-mediated immune responses

Vegetable soup (VS), a plant-based functional food, has been used as a traditional folk medicine and is attracting attention for its ability to enhance the immune response. β-Glucan, a well-established and effective immunomodulator, has synergistic effects when used in combination with some bioactive compounds. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the synergistic immunomodulatory effects of the combination of VS and β-glucan on macrophage-mediated immune responses. β-Glucan was demonstrated to synergistically enhance the VS-stimulated immune response, including the production of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and nitric oxide, mainly through the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in macrophages. In addition, this combination has the potential for further development in functional foods with immune-enhancing activity.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-021-00888-x.     

Aqueous dispersion of 1D van der Waals Mo6S3I6 crystal using biocompatible tri-block copolymer

To achieve the stable dispersion of 1D van der Waals crystal Mo₆S₃I₆ in aqueous media, the tri-block copolymer (Poloxamer) is used as dispersant. The head group of Poloxamer, hydrophobic polypropylene oxide parts can be adsorbed to Mo₆S₃I₆ surface by hydrophobic interaction and the tail group with hydrophilic polyethylene oxide exposed to the outside of the Mo₆S₃I₆ is soluble in water and can form sufficient steric hindrance, resulting in stable aqueous dispersion in nm scale. The excellent biocompatibility of aqueous dispersed nm scale 1D Mo₆S₃I₆ was demonstrated by effective proliferation of C2C12 cells.     

An Intelligent Product Recommendation Model to Reflect the Recent Purchasing Patterns of Customers

Mobile Networks and Applications - This study suggests a new product recommendation model to reflect the recent purchasing patterns of customers. There are many methods to measure the similarity...     

Enhancing nugget size and weldable current range of ultra-high-strength steel using multi-pulse resistance spot welding

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an innovative approach that uses a pulse-profile to improve the welding quality of CP1180 steel in resistance spot welding process. Three pulses with two cooling times were used in the developed multi-pulse welding (MPW) schedule. The experimental results show that the first pulse increases the contact area between the sheets to improve the current flow pattern. The second pulse was designed to extend the sheet-to-sheet contact area and corona bond for preventing rapid nugget growth. Using these designs, the nugget size was maximised through the third pulse. The maximum nugget size using the designed MPW schedule was 18.5% greater than that of the single-pulse welding schedule and the weldable current range was extended by 130%.     

Application of Cudrania tricuspidata leaf extract as a washing agent to inactivate Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut romaine lettuce and kale

The present study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of silkworm thorn (Cudrania tricuspidata) leaf extract (CTLE) and its application as a washing agent for fresh-cut romaine lettuce and kale. The antimicrobial activities of CTLE at various concentrations against Listeria monocytogenes were determined using disc diffusion and viable cell count assays, and CTLE exhibited strong inactivation of L. monocytogenes. In particular, after the treatment with 0.4% CTLE, the protein content of L. monocytogenes cells was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 507.21 to 254.58 μg mL⁻¹, and damaged cells were observed by scanning electron microscopy. CTLE washing resulted in approximately 2-log reduction of microbial growth, similar to that of 0.01% NaOCl. In addition, CTLE washing did not affect the quality of romaine lettuce and kale. Therefore, these results suggest that CTLE is applicable as a new washing agent for inactivating L. monocytogenes on fresh-cut romaine lettuce and kale.     

Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate Induced Toxicity Study and the Role of Tangeretin in Abrogating HIF-1α-NF-κB Crosstalk In Vitro and In Vivo

Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) is a potent tumor promoter and highly inflammatory in nature. Here, we investigated the toxic effects of PMA on different model system. PMA (10 μg) caused chromosomal aberrations on the Allium cepa root tip and induced mitotic dysfunction. Similarly, PMA caused embryonic and larval deformities and a plummeted survivability rate on zebrafish embryo in a dose-dependent manner. Persistently, PMA treatment on immortalized human keratinocyte human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells caused massive inflammatory rush at 4 h and a drop in cell survivability at 24 h. Concomitantly, we replicated a cutaneous inflammation similar to human psoriasis induced by PMA. Herein, we used tangeretin (TAN), as an antagonist to counteract the inflammatory response. Results from an in vivo experiment indicated that TAN (10 and 30 mg/kg) significantly inhibited PMA stimulated epidermal hyperplasia and intra-epidermal neutrophilic abscesses. In addition, its treatment effectively neutralized PMA induced elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation on in vitro and in vivo systems, promoting antioxidant response. The association of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)-nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated b cells (NF-κB) crosstalk triggered by PMA enhanced PKCα-ERK1/2-NF-κB pathway; its activation was also significantly counteracted after TAN treatment. Conclusively, we demonstrated TAN inhibited the nuclear translocation of HIF-1α and NF-κB p65. Collectively, TAN treatment ameliorated PMA incited malignant inflammatory response by remodeling the cutaneous microenvironment.