High efficiency red phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes using a spirobenzofluorene type phosphine oxide as a host material

High efficiency red phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes have been developed using a spirobenzofluorene type phosphine oxide (SPPO2) as a host material. The SPPO2 had a high glass transition temperature of 119 °C and a smooth surface morphology with a surface roughness less than 1 nm. The red device with the SPPO2 as a host showed a quantum efficiency of 14.3% with a current efficiency of 20.4 cd/A.     

Surface‐Shielding Nanostructures Derived from Self‐Assembled Block Copolymers Enable Reliable Plasma Doping for Few‐Layer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Precise modulation of electrical and optical properties of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is required for their application to high‐performance devices. Although conventional plasma‐based doping methods have provided excellent controllability and reproducibility for bulk or relatively thick TMDs, the application of plasma doping for ultrathin few‐layer TMDs has been hindered by serious degradation of their properties. Herein, a reliable and universal doping route is reported for few‐layer TMDs by employing surface‐shielding nanostructures during a plasma‐doping process. It is shown that the surface‐protection oxidized polydimethylsiloxane nanostructures obtained from the sub‐20 nm self‐assembly of Si‐containing block copolymers can preserve the integrity of 2D TMDs and maintain high mobility while affording extensive control over the doping level. For example, the self‐assembled nanostructures form periodically arranged plasma‐blocking and plasma‐accepting nanoscale regions for realizing modulated plasma doping on few‐layer MoS₂, controlling the n‐doping level of few‐layer MoS₂ from 1.9 × 10¹¹ cm^?2 to 8.1 × 10¹¹ cm^?2 via the local generation of extra sulfur vacancies without compromising the carrier mobility.     

MBE growth and microstructural evaluation of Zn(S,Se)-based LEDs and diode lasers

The use of a nitrogen radio frequency plasma source together with an appropriate quantum well configuration have recently resulted in the successful realization of p-type ZnSe by molecular beam epitaxy. This has enabled a variety of pn heterojunction based devices to be built including the first semiconductor injection lasers operating in the blue/green portion of the spectrum first reported by 3M and the Brown/Purdue group. In this paper, we discuss two lattice matched multiple quantum well structures that produce laser emission in the blue and blue/green portion of the spectrum.     

Interactive plant simulation modeling for developing an operator training system in a natural gas pressure-regulating station

This study proposes a method of interactive plant simulation modeling which delivers the online simulated results to the field operators and induces them to take proper actions in the case of pre-identified accident scenarios in a chemical plant. The developed model integrates the real-time process dynamic simulation with 3DCFD accident simulation in a designed interface using object linking and embedding technology so that it can convey to trainees the online information of the accident which is not available in existing operator training systems. The model encompasses the whole process of data transfer till the end of the training at which a trainee operates an emergency shutdown system in a programmed model. In this work, an overall scenario is simulated which is from an abnormal increase in the main valve discharge (second) pressure due to valve malfunction to accidental gas release through the crack of a pressure recorder, and the magnitude of the accident with respect to the lead time of each trainee’s emergency response is analyzed. The model can improve the effectiveness of the operator training system through interactively linking the trainee actions with the simulation model resulting in different accident scenarios with respect to each trainee’s competence when facing an accident.     

Bioactive compounds extracted from Gamtae (Ecklonia cava) by using enzymatic hydrolysis, a potent α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitor, alleviates postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic mice

This study was designed to investigate whether the brown alga gamtae (Ecklonia cava) may inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities, and alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. For that purpose, we prepared an enzymatic hydrolysate from gamtae (EHG) by using the carbohydrase, Celluclast. EHG evidenced prominent inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase and α-amylase. The IC₅₀ values of EHG against α-glucosidase and α-amylase were 0.62 and 0.59 mg/mL, respectively, which evidenced the higher activities than that of acarbose. EHG did not exert any cytotoxic effect in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) at various concentrations (from 0.25 to 2 mg/mL). The increase of postprandial blood glucose levels were significantly suppressed in the EHG administered group than those in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic or normal mice. Moreover, the area under curve (AUC) was significantly reduced via EHG administration (6,102 vs. 10,425 mg·min/dL) in the diabetic mice as well as it delays absorption of dietary carbohydrates. These result indicated that EHG might be a potent inhibitor for α-glucosidase and α-amylase.     

Properties and applications of β‐glycosidase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that specifically hydrolyses isoflavone glycosides

To modify the glycan part of glycosides, the gene encoding β‐glycosidase was cloned from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron VPI‐5482. The cloned gene, bt_1780, was expressed in Escherichia coli MC1061 and the expressed enzyme was purified using Ni‐NTA affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme, BTBG, showed optimal activity at 50 °C and pH 5.5. Interestingly, this enzyme did not have any hydrolysing activity on ordinary β‐linkage–containing substrates such as xylobiose, lactose and cello‐oligosaccharide, but specifically hydrolysed isoflavone glycosides such as daidzin, genistin and glycitin. Compared to a commercial beta glucosidase, BTBG selectively hydrolysed isoflavone glycosides in soybean extract mixture solution. These results suggest that BTBG may be a specialized enzyme for the hydrolysis of glycosides and that the substrate specificity of BTBG is applicable for the bioconversion of isoflavone glycosides in the food industry.