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This review conducts a systematic analysis of a total of 90 Smart City articles from an urban context perspective based on the 'Urban Engagement and Impact Analytical Framework'. Many previous smart city reviews have been conducted through bibliometric analysis from a holistic viewpoint, finding the performance, trend and focused area of smart city research. Therefore, the principal objective of this review is to explore the gap in the adequacy of smart city research engagement with diverse urban contexts, to provide a smart urban environment focusing on Smart Urbanism. This paper highlights three principal aspects of each article; 1) Whose perspective that Smart City research mostly conducted by, 2) The depth of Urban context engagement conducted during Smart City development, 3) Which part of urban development is particularly affected by. These three dimensions are significant factors correlated to each other, that form healthy smart urbanism. By doing so, the findings from this review will lead the smart city research to a practical intervention in urban planning through engagement with the insightful urban contexts. This will offer a positive impact on developing a sustainable urban livelihood for the inhabitants by extending the view of the smart city development towards Smart urbanism within the urban context viewpoint. • In-depth urban contextual engagement is lacking in current Smart City research. • An Extension view of Smart City embracing balanced urban context is essential. • Taxonomy analytical framework is proposed for the review analysis. • The practical intervention urges for Smart City growth as urban planning. • Active engagement of scholars from architecture and urban planning is significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals are commonly released into the environment through industrial processes such as mining and refining. The rapid industrialization that occurred in South Korea during the 1960s and 1970s contributed significantly to the economy of the country; however, the associated mining and refining led to considerable environmental pollution, and although mining is now in decline in South Korea, the detrimental effects on residents inhabiting the surrounding areas remain. The bioaccumulation of toxic heavy metals leads to metabolic alterations in human homeostasis, with disruptions in this balance leading to various health issues. This study used metabolomics to explore metabolomic alterations in the plasma samples of residents living in mining and refining areas. The results showed significant increases in metabolites involved in glycolysis and the surrounding metabolic pathways, such as glucose-6-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate, lactate, and inosine monophosphate, in those inhabiting polluted areas. An investigation of the associations between metabolites and blood clinical parameters through meet-in-the-middle analysis indicated that female residents were more affected by heavy metal exposure, resulting in more metabolomic alterations. For women, inhabiting the abandoned mine area, metabolites in the glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways, such as ribose-5-phosphate and 3-phosphoglycerate, have shown a negative correlation with albumin and calcium. Finally, Mendelian randomization(MR) was used to determine the causal effects of these heavy metal exposure-related metabolites on heavy metal exposure-related clinical parameters. Metabolite biomarkers could provide insights into altered metabolic pathways related to exposure to toxic heavy metals and improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the health effects of toxic heavy metal exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kombucha biofilm, a microbial cellulose pellicle formed during kombucha fermentation, has gained increasing attention in the food industry because of its unique properties and potential uses. Although kombucha biofilms have shown promise in various food applications, their full potential remains unexplored. This comprehensive review explores various aspects of kombucha biofilms, including the associated terminology, microbial ecology, formation mechanisms, influencing factors, characteristics, and applications in non-food and food sectors. We investigate their potential for food applications and sustainable food product development. Despite their potential, we comply with the limitations of scientific evidence and technological innovations surrounding kombucha biofilms in the food industry. Further research is required to uncover innovative ways of utilizing kombucha biofilms for sustainable food product development. Kombucha biofilm formation is a complex process influenced by factors, such as microorganism composition, substrate conditions, environmental factors, and fermentation parameters. With an increasing understanding of their distinctive properties, kombucha biofilms have applications in various sectors. Although their use in food applications has been explored by several researchers, continued research and collaborative efforts are necessary to fully unlock their potential and drive their application in the food industry. [Display omitted] • Kombucha biofilms have high potential applications in the food industry. • The microbial ecology, influencing factors, and characteristics of kombucha biofilms were reviewed. • Kombucha biofilms have applications in environmental, fashion, health, and medical fields. • Kombucha biofilms are promising functional foods, packaging material, and nutrient supplements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PET kinetic parameter estimation based on particle swarm optimization (PSO). • Infinity-norm regularization considering estimated parameter distribution. • Infinity-norm regularization suppresses the bias and variance in estimation. • The results of real data backed up the usefulness of the PSO and infinity norm regularization. In positron emission tomography (PET) studies, the voxel-wise calculation of individual rate constants describing the tracer kinetics is quite challenging because of the nonlinear relationship between the rate constants and PET data and the high noise level in voxel data. Based on preliminary simulations using a standard two-tissue compartment model, we can hypothesize that it is possible to reduce errors in the rate constant estimates when constraining the overestimation of the larger of two exponents in the model equation. We thus propose a novel approach based on infinity-norm regularization for limiting this exponent. Owing to the non-smooth cost function of this regularization scheme, which prevents the use of conventional Jacobian-based optimization methods, we examined a proximal gradient algorithm and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) through a simulation study. Because it exploits multiple initial values, the PSO method shows much better convergence than the proximal gradient algorithm, which is susceptible to the initial values. In the implementation of PSO, the use of a Gamma distribution to govern random movements was shown to improve the convergence rate and stability compared to a uniform distribution. Consequently, Gamma-based PSO with regularization was shown to outperform all other methods tested, including the conventional basis function method and Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm, in terms of its statistical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effects of candesartan and irbesartan, antagonists of the type I angiotensin II receptor, were investigated on allergic asthma. The antigen-induced degranulation was measured by evaluating β-hexosaminidase activity in vitro. Additionally, a murine ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma model was used to test the in vivo efficacy. It was observed that while candesartan inhibited the antigen-induced degranulation in rat RBL-2H3 mast cells, irbesartan did not. Administration of candesartan and irbesartan decreased the number of immune cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and reduced the expression of Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and Th1 cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-γ) in the lung tissues of mice with ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma. Histological studies revealed that both antagonists reduced inflammation and mucin production in the lungs. Therefore, these findings provide evidence that candesartan and irbesartan could have potential applications as anti-allergic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate bacterial communities and health-benefit-related parameters in doenjang prepared with various brine concentrations (8, 12, 16, and 20%). Phenolic, flavonoid, melanoidin and isoflavone contents, antioxidation, and antiproliferation of doenjang (AD8, AD12, AD16, and AD20) aged for 3 months were compared with those of initial doenjang (ID8, ID12, ID16, and ID20). The ID8 and AD8 doenjang , made with 8% brine, contained higher phenolics, melanoidins, and isoflavones than those with high salinity. As results of bacterial communities, Enterococcus was a dominant bacterium in most doenjang , while Lactobacillus was predominant in AD8. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (32.5 µmol TE/g dwb) and DPPH radical-scavenging capacity (57 µmol TE/g dwb) values of AD8 were the highest among samples. The EC 50 of HT-29 cell proliferation treated with AD8 was 0.47 mg/mL, while EC 50 of AD20 was 1.07 mg/mL, indicating stronger antiproliferative activity in low-salinity doenjang . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the utilisation of immature wheat flour (IWF) as an alternative flour with antioxidant activity. Antioxidant properties and phenolic acid compositions of IWF and IWF madeleine were compared with those of commercial wheat flour (WF) and WF madeleine. Consumer perception of madeleine was studied using a blind test followed by an informed test, which provided information on antioxidant properties of flours. The bound ferulic acid in IWF (5.54 mg/100 g) was seven times higher than that in WF (0.74 mg/100 g). Oxygen radical absorbance capacity of IWF (34.47 µmol TE/g) and IWF madeleine (14.63 µmol TE/g) were higher than those of WF. The results of blind test showed that consumer acceptability and willingness to pay (WTP) of IWF madeleine were lower than those of WF madeleine. However, about 25% of consumers preferred IWF madeleine, implying small niche market for IWF as alternative flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway is pivotal in controlling survival and apoptosis of cancer cells. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a cytokine that regulates the immune response and tumorigenesis under inflammatory conditions, is upregulated in various tumors. However, the intracellular functions of MIF are unclear. In this study, we found that MIF directly interacted with thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), a tumor suppressor and known inhibitor of NF-κB activity, and MIF significantly induced NF-κB activation. MIF competed with TXNIP for NF-κB activation, and the intracellular MIF induced NF-κB target genes, including c -IAP2, Bcl-xL, ICAM-1, MMP2 and uPA, by inhibiting the interactions between TXNIP and HDACs or p65. Furthermore, we identified the interaction motifs between MIF and TXNIP via site-directed mutagenesis of their cysteine (Cys) residues. Cys 57 and Cys 81 of MIF and Cys 36 and Cys 120 of TXNIP were responsible for the interaction. MIF reversed the TXNIP-induced suppression of cell proliferation and migration. Overall, we suggest that MIF induces NF-κB activity by counter acting the inhibitory effect of TXNIP on the NF-κB pathway via direct interaction with TXNIP. These findings reveal a novel intracellular function of MIF in the progression of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research sought to examine whether analogical and metaphorical reasoning could be taught as a teaching strategy to enhance students’ creative thinking in the design process. To investigate the effects of analogical and metaphorical reasoning in design thinking, research was conducted with second year university students majoring in interior architecture. First, a pilot study was conducted to identify the effectiveness of analogical and metaphorical reasoning in supporting design thinking. Based on the results of the pilot study, a curriculum was developed and implemented in a studio course for one semester that encouraged students to engage in analogical and metaphorical reasoning. A further experiment was conducted to validate the effects of the curriculum on students’ design thinking processes. The overall results suggested that a teaching strategy that emphasises the use of analogical and metaphorical reasoning could enhance students’ design thinking and lead to more creative design processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new quinoxaline-based electron-accepting building block with thieno[3,2- b ]thiophene side chains was synthesized and copolymerized with the alkoxy-substituted benzodithiophene (BDT) donor building block to obtain poly[(4,8-bis[(2-butyloctyl)oxy]-benzo[1,2- b :4,5- b ′]dithiophene)- alt -(2,3-bis(5-octylthieno[3,2- b ]thiophene-2-yl)-5,8-di(thiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline)] (PBDT- TTDTQx) copolymer. To compare the effect of the addition of the thieno[3,2- b ]thiophene side chain in the quinoxaline moiety, an analogous copolymer with a thienyl side chain in the quinoxaline unit was also synthesized to yield the poly[(4,8-bis[(2-butyloctyl)oxy]-benzo[1,2- b :4,5- b ′]dithiophene)- alt -(2,3-bis(5-octylthiophene-2-yl)-5,8-di(thiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline)] (PBDT-TDTQx) copolymer. The optical, electrochemical, morphological, and photovoltaic properties of the two polymers were investigated. Bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices were fabricated using the polymers as a p-type donor and [6,6]-phenyl C 71 -butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM) as the n-type acceptor. The power conversion efficiencies of the devices fabricated using PBDT-TTDTQx and PBDT-TDTQx are 3.42 and 2.26%, respectively. The replacement of the alkylthienyl moiety with thieno[3,2- b ]thiophene on quinoxaline could expand the UV–visible absorption range due to extended π-conjugation and also enhance the crystallinity of the polymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate health benefit-related parameters such as antioxidant contents and antiproliferative activities in immature wheat compared to mature wheat. Immature and mature wheats were harvested 35 and 45 days after the heading date, respectively; steamed immature wheat was also tested. The phenolic, flavonoid and vitamin E contents of immature and steamed immature wheat were compared with those of mature wheat. Additionally, antiproliferative activities against colon cancer cells (HT-29 and Caco-2) and cervical cancer cells (HeLa) were evaluated in three samples. The immature wheat contained higher phenolic and flavonoid contents but lower vitamin E contents than mature wheat. The antioxidant capacity, as measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), was higher in immature wheat than in other samples. In the antiproliferation assays, immature wheat had the lowest EC 50 values in HT-29 (39.3 mg/mL) and HeLa (31.4 mg/mL) cells, indicating stronger antiproliferative activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary OTX2 (orthodenticle homeobox 2) haplodeficiency causes diverse defects in mammalian visual systems ranging from retinal dysfunction to anophthalmia. We find that the retinal dystrophy of Otx2 +/GFP heterozygous knockin mice is mainly due to the loss of bipolar cells and consequent deficits in retinal activity. Among bipolar cell types, OFF-cone bipolar subsets, which lack autonomous Otx2 gene expression but receive Otx2 proteins from photoreceptors, degenerate most rapidly in Otx2 +/GFP mouse retinas, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of the imported Otx2 protein. In support of this hypothesis, retinal dystrophy in Otx2 +/GFP mice is prevented by intraocular injection of Otx2 protein, which localizes to the mitochondria of bipolar cells and facilitates ATP synthesis as a part of mitochondrial ATP synthase complex. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a mitochondrial function for Otx2 and suggest a potential therapeutic application of OTX2 protein delivery in human retinal dystrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] It is essential to understand how the digital environment might affect children's cognitive development. [•] Tactile interaction with digital tools provides a cognitive aid that supports children's creative problem solving. [•] Tactile interaction has the potential to empower children's capacities for problem reframing, stimulating divergent thinking. [•] Introducing digital tactile tools into early childhood education would be beneficial to the development of creative thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The existing studies in this area adopt mostly quantitative methods, so there is a lack of qualitative evaluation regarding users’ interaction with green buildings. [•] Our research aims to develop a method for evaluating green building performance, which includes user experience. [•] We conducted a case study to evaluate the performance of a KGBC-certified green apartment. [•] We have used a customized method, with a focus on user-oriented factors, to present the results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] This study aims to obtain an insight into the effect of residents’ behaviors on energy use. [•] In-depth interviews were conducted to investigate the residents’ energy use behaviors. [•] The service life of buildings do not affect much energy consumption. [•] Energy conservation behaviors have more effect on energy consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are critical determinants of the fate of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoiesis. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), which is induced by oxidative stress, is a known regulator of intracellular ROS. Txnip −/− old mice exhibited elevated ROS levels in hematopoietic cells and showed a reduction in hematopoietic cell population. Loss of TXNIP led to a dramatic reduction of mouse survival under oxidative stress. TXNIP directly regulated p53 protein by interfering with p53- mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) interactions and increasing p53 transcriptional activity. Txnip −/− mice showed downregulation of the antioxidant genes induced by p53. Introduction of TXNIP or p53 into Txnip −/− bone marrow cells rescued the HSC frequency and greatly increased survival in mice following oxidative stress. Overall, these data indicate that TXNIP is a regulator of p53 and plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of the hematopoietic cells by regulating intracellular ROS during oxidative stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most of the studied organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cell have exhibited low photovoltage due to fast charge recombination. Here, we report on synthetic strategy of organic dye to get high photovoltage. Phenothiazine (PTZ) moieties are incorporated between electron donating triphenylamine (D) and electron accepting cyanoacrylic acid (A) to enhance non-planarity. Compared to one PTZ incorporation (D-PTZ-A), hypsochromic shift in absorption is observed by incorporation of two PTZs (D-PTZ1–PTZ2-A) due to transition from HOMO-1 to LUMO as confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. D-PTZ1–PTZ2-A shows higher photovoltage (0.804V) than D-PTZ-A (0.781V), those which are even higher than that of the ruthenium-based N719-snesitized one (0.775V). Little difference in electron transport rate is observed for PTZ derivatives and N719, while electron life time is increased in the order of D-PTZ1–PTZ2-A > D-PTZ-A > N719. Retardation of electron recombination is responsible for the high photovoltage, which is associated with bent conformation induced by PTZ spacer group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The generation of oxygen free radicals and oxidative damage is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Eriobotrya japonica has been used to treat several diseases in East Asia. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of an E. japonica extract against Aβ peptide-induced oxidative stress. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay demonstrated that the E. japonica extract scavenged approximately 40% of DPPH radicals. Also, treatment of the E. japonica extract inhibited Aβ1–42-mediated neuronal cell death. Furthermore, treatment of E. japonica extract efficiently suppressed the increase in intracellular ROS triggered by the Aβ1-42 peptide. Importantly, mice pre-treated with the E. japonica extract showed restoration of alternation behavior and reversal of Aβ1-42-induced memory impairment. Consequently, the E. japonica extract substantially inhibited the increase in lipid peroxidation and restored superoxide dismutase activity. These results suggest that E. japonica protects from oxidative stress and cognitive deficits induced by the Aβ peptide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: We sought to compare long-term outcomes between percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty and open heart surgery. Methods: The study evaluated 402 patients who underwent percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty and 159 patients who underwent open heart surgery between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2000. The rates of cardiovascular death or repeated intervention (redo percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty or open heart surgery) were determined over a median follow-up of 109 months (mean ± SD, 106 ± 27). The therapeutic effects on adverse outcomes were estimated by the Cox proportional hazards model adjusting differences in the severity of illness before intervention. The effects of the cardiac rhythm and echocardiographic score were also tested. Results: The observed (unadjusted) event-free survival was similar for both groups, and the hazard ratio for the clinical events after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty as compared with after open heart surgery was 1.510 (95% confidence interval, 0.914–2.496; P = .1079). However, the adjusted hazard ratio was 3.729 (95% confidence interval, 1.963–7.082; P < .0001), showing a higher event-free survival in the open heart surgery group. The adjusted hazard ratio after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty as compared with after open heart surgery in patients with echocardiographic scores of 8 or more and atrial fibrillation were 5.348 (95% confidence interval, 2.504–11.422; P < .001) and 3.440 (95% confidence interval, 1.805–6.555; P = .0002), respectively, whereas the hazard ratio in patients with echocardiographic scores less than 8 and normal sinus rhythm did not show differences. Conclusions: Open heart surgery was associated with a higher adjusted rate of long-term event-free survival than percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. Patients with high echocardiographic scores or atrial fibrillation showed better outcomes after open heart surgery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The root of Angelica gigas Nakai contains two major coumarins, which have been previously identified as decursin and decursinol. Decursin has been demonstrated to exhibit potent anti-cancer activity both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we found that decursin and decursinol at non-cytotoxic doses inhibited the VEGF-induced proliferation, migration, and capillary-tube formation of HUVECs. Moreover, decursin and decursinol suppressed microvessel formation on chorioallantoic membranes in fertilized eggs and into mouse Matrigel plugs. The oral administration of decursin and decursinol also reduced VEGF-induced angiogenesis in Matrigel. Furthermore, decursin and decursinol reduced the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK, but not p38 MAPK, in VEGF-stimulated HUVECs. Taken together, our results reveal that decursin and decursinol inhibit VEGF-induced angiogenesis by reducing the activation of ERK and JNK in HUVECs, and possess potent in vivo anti-angiogenic activity, coupled with the advantage of oral dosing. Thus, these compounds may have the potential for the treatment of cancers dependent on VEGF-induced vascularization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The use of tangible user interfaces in new design environments promises to facilitate the designers'' interaction with the design model. In order to clarify the impact of tangible user interfaces we compare the design protocols of collaborative design sessions using a tabletop system and tangible user interface (TUI) with a typical keyboard/mouse/display graphical user interface (GUI) to identify changes in designers'' spatial cognition. We focussed on design collaboration because many tabletop systems are intended to support designers in communicating and developing a shared model of the design. The results reveal that the use of TUIs changed designers'' spatial cognition, and that these changes affected the design process by increasing their ‘problem-finding’ behaviours leading to creative design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Left ventricular (LV) remodeling and predictors of LV systolic function late after closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in adults remain to be clearly demonstrated. Methods: In 45 patients with PDA, including 28 patients who received successful occlusion using the Amplatzer device (AD group) (AGA, Golden Valley, MN) and 17 patients who received surgical closure (OP group), echocardiography studies were performed before closure and 1 day (AD group) or within 7 days (OP group) after closure, and then were repeated at ≥6 months (17 ± 13 months). Results: In both groups, LV ejection fraction (EF) and end-diastolic volume index were significantly decreased immediately after closure, whereas end-systolic volume index did not change. During the long-term follow-up period, end-systolic as well as end-diastolic volume indices decreased significantly in both groups and LV EF recovered compared to the immediate postclosure state. However, LV EF remained low compared to the preclosure state. Five patients (11.1%) including 3 patients in the AD group and 2 patients in the OP group showed persistent late LV systolic dysfunction (EF <50%). In stepwise, multiple logistic regression analysis, preclosure EF was the only independent predictor of late normal postclosure EF (odds ratio, 1.230; 95% CI, 1.054-1.434; P = .008). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that preclosure EF ≥62% had a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 83% for predicting late normal LV EF after closure. Conclusions: Left ventricular EF remains low late after PDA closure compared with preclosure state in adults. Preclosure LV EF is the best index to predict late postclosure LV EF. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A convenient and versatile method was developed for aza-Michael addition using a substoichiometric amount of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU). Various nitrogen nucleophiles were efficiently introduced to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds employing 0.5equiv of DBU. Furthermore, other heteroatomic nucleophiles could also be introduced successfully under the same reaction conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel Na+ /H+ exchanger-1 (NHE-1) inhibitor [5-(2-methoxy-5-chloro-5-phenyl)furan-2-ylcarbonyl]guanidine (KR-32570) has been previously demonstrated to elicit cardioprotective effect against ischemic injury in rat heart. In the present study, we examined the effects of KR-32570 on cell death induced by hypoxic insult in heart-derived H9c2 cells. Treatment with KR-32570 (1–10 μM) significantly reduced hypoxia-induced necrotic cell death (lactate dehydrogenase release) and apoptotic cell death (TUNEL-positivity, caspase-3 activity). KR-32570 also decreased the cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload induced by hypoxia. Inhibition of mitochondrial Ca2+ overload by ruthenium red mimicked the anti-apoptotic effect of KR-32570. In addition, KR-32570 significantly recovered the large reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ m) and cytochrome c release induced by hypoxia. Taken together, our results suggest that a new NHE-1 inhibitor KR-32570 elicits potent cardioprotective effects in H9c2 cells, and its effects may be mediated by inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ overload and mitochondrial death pathway during hypoxia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Onion extract was prepared by extracting onion with water, and the effects of the extract on pear polyphenol oxidase and browning of pear were investigated. The polyphenol oxidase of pear was inhibited by onion extract, and the inhibitory effect of onion extract toward pear polyphenol oxidase was increased with the heated extract. The inhibitory effect of the extract was increased with increasing heating temperature and time. The browning of pear juice was retarded by addition of both fresh and heated onion extracts. The onion extract inhibited the pear polyphenol oxidase non-competitively. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of onion extract against pear browning seems to be due to the inhibitory effect of onion extract against pear polyphenol oxidase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This review paper seeks to emphasise the significance of citizens' adoption of smart urbanism for sustainable smart living. A total of 37 articles have been selected and critically reviewed based on the Sustainable Smart Living framework developed for this paper. This review explores the concept of smart equity among citizens, which empowers them as end-users in cities experiencing the rapid growth of smart urbanism. Citizen adoption is an essential issue for critical consideration to ensure the sustainable smart living throughout urban life. The framework for sustainable smart living has been developed by focusing on citizen adoption in light of essential, interrelated variables, including government role, cognitive entity and intelligence. Based on this framework, the selected articles have been evaluated and analysed in terms of their significance for the sustainable smart living variables. The purposes of this review are twofold: first, to develop a framework for sustainable smart living focusing on citizen adoption; second, to examine the current status of smart city research from a human-centric viewpoint by adopting the framework as a guideline for evaluating and analysing the selected articles on smart urbanism. The results of this review may be extended by future studies on sustainable smart living that focus on smart cities that address citizen adoption from a human-centric viewpoint. • This critical review of Sustainable Smart Living (SSL) focuses on its adoption by citizens. • An SSL framework has been developed. • The results show that there has been a lack of exploration from a human-centric viewpoint (citizen adoption). • Citizen adoption empowers citizens through fulfilment living via smart urbanism. • Information communication technologies (ICTs), governments and citizens collaborating in interactive connectivity create SSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: (R)-Glycerol-monolinoleate 4 and (R)-glycerol-monostearate 5 were isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of Saururus chinensis roots and (R)- or (S)-fatty acid glycerols 4 and 5 were synthesized for confirming their structures and evaluating their inhibitory activities against Lp-PLA2. The (R)-4 and (S)-4 exhibited Lp-PLA2 inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 45.0 and 52.0μM, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of (E)-phenyl- and -heteroaryl-substituted O-benzoyl- (or acyl)oximes 3a–n were synthesized for evaluating their human lipoprotein-associated phospholiphase A2 (Lp-PLA2) inhibitory activities. The less lipophilic derivatives 3a–c showed the most potent in vitro inhibitory activity on human Lp-PLA2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]