Composite Microgels Created by Complexation between Polyvinyl Alcohol and Graphene Oxide in Compressed Double‐Emulsion Drops

Microgels, microparticles made of hydrogels, show fast diffusion kinetics and high reconfigurability while maintaining the advantages of hydrogels, being useful for various applications. Here, presented is a new microfluidic strategy for producing polymer‐graphene oxide (GO) composite microgels without chemical cues or a temperature swing for gelation. As a main component of microgels, polymers that are able to form hydrogen bonds, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), are used. In the mixture of PVA and GO, GO is tethered by PVA through hydrogen bonding. When the mixture is rapidly concentrated in the core of double‐emulsion drops by osmotic‐pressure‐driven water pumping, PVA‐tethered GO sheets form a nematic phase with a planar alignment. In addition, the GO sheets are linked by additional hydrogen bonds, leading to a sol–gel transition. Therefore, the PVA–GO composite remains undissolved when it is directly exposed to water by oil‐shell rupture. These composite microgels can be also produced using poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(acrylic acid), instead of PVA. In addition, the microgels can be functionalized by incorporating other polymers in the presence of the hydrogel‐forming polymers. It is shown that the multicomponent microgels made from a mixture of polyacrylamide, PVA, and GO show an excellent adsorption capacity for impurities.     

Review on Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4: Functionality and Nutraceutical Applications as a Probiotic Microorganism

Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 is a probiotic strain that has been used as a major ingredient to produce nutraceutical products and as a dairy starter since 2000. The various bio-functional effects and potential for industrial application of B. bifidum BGN4 has been characterized and proven by in vitro (i.e., phytochemical bio-catalysis, cell adhesion and anti-carcinogenic effects on cell lines, and immunomodulatory effects on immune cells), in vivo (i.e., suppressed allergic responses in mouse model and anti-inflammatory bowel disease), and clinical studies (eczema in infants and adults with irritable bowel syndrome). Recently, the investigation of the genome sequencing was finished and this data potentially clarifies the biochemical characteristics of B. bifidum BGN4 that possibly illustrate its nutraceutical functionality. However, further systematic research should be continued to gain insight for academic and industrial applications so that the use of B. bifidum BGN4 could be expanded to result in greater benefit. This review deals with multiple studies on B. bifidum BGN4 to offer a greater understanding as a probiotic microorganism available in functional food ingredients. In particular, this work considers the potential for commercial application, physiological characterization and exploitation of B. bifidum BGN4 as a whole.     

Contributions of the lower extremity joint on the support moment in normal walking and in unexpected step-down walking

ARelative contributions of lower extremity joints on the support moment were investigated in this study Three-dimensional gait analyses were performed in normal walking and in unexpected step-down walking For both gait studies, inverse dynamics were performed to obtain each joint moment of the lower extremity, which was applied to the forward dynamics simulation to determine the contributions on the support moment at different phases of walking The forward dynamic simulation results showed that, in normal walking, the ankle plantar flexois contributed significantly during single-limb-support However, the ankle plantar flexors, knee extensois and hip extensors worked together duimg double-limb-support In unexpected step-down walking, the important contributors on the support of the body during single-limb-support were not only ankle plantar flexors but also knee extensors This study, analyzing the relative contributions of the lower limb joint moments for the body support, would be helpful to understand diffetent unexpected walking conditions and compensatory mechanisms for various pathological gaits     

Fluorescent Organic Glass with Unique Optical and Mechanical Properties

Conventional organic glasses such as molecular and polymeric glasses either lack processability or have ill‐defined properties. Here, a novel organic glass is reported having well‐defined fluorescent properties and high compatibility with various fabrication processes. The fluorescent organic glass (FOG) is synthesized by simply heating benzyl alcohol with a small amount of aqueous sulfuric acid. Owing to its outstanding optical properties, FOG is placed beyond the domain of conventional organic glasses in the Abbe diagram. Moreover, excellent rheological properties render it amenable to molding, blowing, and nanopatterning processes. Finally, based on extensive characterization, it is proposed that a FOG is composed of a 1,2,3,4‐tetraphenyl‐1,3‐butadiene core and poly(phenylene methylene) branches, which are responsible for molecular fluorescence and polymeric processability, respectively. The demonstration may contribute significantly to the development of organic glasses with unprecedented properties for various applications.     

A batch size selection strategy by checking stability of fission source distribution for Monte Carlo eigenvalue calculations

The power iteration method is generally used for Monte Carlo eigenvalue calculations. In the process, the fission sources at each cycle are not independently sampled by the iteration scheme. This dependency of the sampled fission source can cause underestimation of response uncertainty. To solve these issues, previous studies have recommended the selection of large-size batches, which nonetheless, would require large calculation cost. This study proposes a method for selecting a reference criterion of batch size avoiding significant biases in the local responses, and mainly emphasizing the maintenance of the stability of fission source distribution. To determine the criterion for the diagnostics of stability, real-to-apparent standard deviations are analyzed with the stability of fission source distribution. The results show that the batch sizes determined by the proposed method allow the evaluation of local responses without large biases. The proposed method is expected to contribute to improving the reliability of the Monte Carlo criticality calculations.     

Vanillic Acid,a Bioactive Phenolic Compound,Counteracts LPS-Induced Neurotoxicity by Regulating c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase in Mouse Brain

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), a pattern recognition receptor signaling event, has been associated with several human illnesses, including neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Vanillic acid (V.A), a flavoring agent, is a benzoic acid derivative having a broad range of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of V.A in exerting neuroprotection are not well investigated. The present study aims to explore the neuroprotective effects of V.A against lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation, amyloidogenesis, synaptic/memory dysfunction, and neurodegeneration in mice brain. Behavioral tests and biochemical and immunofluorescence assays were applied. Our results indicated increased expression of RAGE and its downstream phospho-c-Jun n-terminal kinase (p-JNK) in the LPS-alone treated group, which was significantly reduced in the V.A + LPS co-treated group. We also found that systemic administration of LPS-injection induced glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) activation and significantly increased expression level of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-KB) and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 β (IL1-β), and cyclooxygenase (COX-2). However, V.A + LPS co-treatment significantly inhibited the LPS-induced activation of glial cells and neuroinflammatory mediators. Moreover, we also noted that V.A treatment significantly attenuated LPS-induced increases in the expression of AD markers, such as β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP)–cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and amyloid-β (Aβ). Furthermore, V.A treatment significantly reversed LPS-induced synaptic loss via enhancing the expression level of pre- and post-synaptic markers (PSD-95 and SYP), and improved memory performance in LPS-alone treated group. Taken together; we suggest that neuroprotective effects of V.A against LPS-induced neurotoxicity might be via inhibition of LPS/RAGE mediated JNK signaling pathway; and encourage future studies that V.A would be a potential neuroprotective and neurotherapeutic candidate in various neurological disorders.     

Pressure wave and fluid velocity in a bend-mode inkjet nozzle with double PZT actuators

A new concept of bend-mode inkjet nozzle with double PZT (lead zirconate titanate) actuators has been designed and fabricated in the present study. Then the pressure wave and fluid velocity at the nozzle exit have been investigated. The complex pressure behavior inside the channel was solved numerically based on the narrow channel acoustic theory. The two PZTs attached to a rectangular channel were actuated sequentially by setting the waveforms of each PZT to be center-aligned with various pulse widths. As a result, the double PZT actuation is superior to the single PZT actuation in view of strong momentum force and fast dissipation of residual pressure. The maximum fluid velocity at the nozzle exit is observed when the respective pulse widths equal to their optimum pulse widths. The numerical results are supported by the experimental results with the fabricated inkjet device by measuring the speed of meniscus just out of the nozzle.     

Evaluating the Efficiency of Mobile Content Companies Using Data Envelopment Analysis and Principal Component Analysis

This paper evaluates the efficiency of mobile content firms through a hybrid approach combining data envelopment analysis (DEA) to analyze the relative efficiency and performance of firms and principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze data structures. We performed a DEA using the total amount of assets, operating costs, employees, and years in business as inputs, and revenue as output. We calculated fifteen combinations of DEA efficiency in the mobile content firms. We performed a PCA on the results of the fifteen DEA models, dividing the mobile content firms into those having either ‘asset‐oriented’ or ‘manpower and experience‐oriented’ efficiency. Discriminant analysis was used to validate the relationship between the efficiency models and mobile content types. This paper contributes toward the construction of a framework that combines the DEA and PCA approaches in mobile content firms for use in comprehensive measurements. Such a framework has the potential to present major factors of efficiency for sustainable management in mobile content firms and to aid in planning mobile content industry policies.     

Annealing effects on structural changes and thermal shrinkage of poly(lactic acid) draw-textured filaments

To control the thermal shrinkage of poly(lactic acid) draw-textured yarns, the annealing effects on structural changes and thermal shrinkage were investigated. Specifically, annealing temperatures of 100 and 160°C and annealing times of 10–50?min per every 10?min were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms revealed that filaments annealed at 100°C produced double melting peaks due to crystal imperfections, while those annealed at 160°C for more than 30?min showed a single melting peak. Moreover, wide angle X-ray scattering revealed that annealing at higher temperatures led to better developed crystal structures. Although, the crystal structure developed by annealing birefringence indicated that average molecular orientation was not greatly affected. Yarns annealed at 160°C showed the least thermal shrinkage of 2%, while those annealed at 100°C decreased from 7.9–5.4% with increasing annealing time.