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Failure to translate promising potential therapeutics for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) partially results from limited understanding of cellular mechanisms underlying brain injury and repair. Understanding neural repair mechanisms after brain injury requires intricate comprehension of microglial behavior; however, studying individual microglial cell behavior is challenging. Further single cell isolation techniques may be an excellent means to expand known differences in male and female microglial cell response to ICH. In this study, 24 h after intrastriatal collagenase injection, one male and one female CX3CR1-GFP mouse underwent ex vivo microglial cell isolation via micropipette from perihematomal regions and equivalent location of contralateral striata. After cell collection, individual and grouped cell samples underwent reverse transcription and analyses for gene expression using Fluidigm RT-PCR technology. Data were analyzed by t-tests and visualized as a heatmap of the log2 Ct values. Gene expression assays were chosen for target-specific amplification, including markers of M1 pro-inflammatory microglial phenotype (i.e., Tnf, Il6, Fcgr3/CD16), M2 anti-inflammatory markers (i.e., Mrc1/CD206, Arg1, Tgfb1), and genes involved in the toll-like receptor pathway (i.e., Tlr2, Tlr4 and Myd88). Greater number of individual microglia cells expressed Mcr1, Tlr2, and Arg1 in perihematomal tissue than in contralateral hemispheres. Additionally, more male microglia expressed Myd88, Tlr2, Il6, and Arg1 than did female microglia. Single cell microglial isolation is feasible after in vivo rodent ICH. Differential gene expression can be detected between individual cells from different brain regions and experimental conditions. Cell-specific analyses will contribute to improved understanding of microglial roles in both post-ICH pathogenesis and recovery.

Pore-filling ion exchange membranes are fabricated by complicated and energy-inefficient processes, use of large amounts of polar organic solvents, and optionally post-modification using acid or base. For green fabrication of pore-filling anion exchange membranes (PAEMs), we optimized the process parameters such as pretreatment time, impregnation time, water amount, and photo-polymerization rate of each step using roll to roll (R2R) equipment. Based on these optimized process parameters, a PAEM of 57.5 cm width and 39 μm thickness completely filled with a photo-cured electrolyte polymer was fabricated by aqueous pretreatment and by using an impregnation solution without toxic organic solvents. The impregnation step was conducted along with photo-polymerization at a line speed of 0.3 m/min without repeated impregnation with R2R equipment. The IEC, resistance, and permselectivity of this PAEM were similar to those of handmade PAEMs. The PAEM exhibited chemical stability in the pH range of 0–12. In addition, the reverse electrodialysis stack assembled with these PAEMs exhibited a higher power density than a stack of commercial ion exchange membranes. These results demonstrate that industrial-scale PAEM can be fabricated through a rapid, simple, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient R2R process.

The utilization of large amounts of volatile organic solvents and the complicated process required for industrial manufacturing of ion-exchange membranes necessitate the development of simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly fabrication methods such as those based on photopolymerization. We employed hydrolytic sol–gel reactions between ammonium- and acrylamide-functionalized silane coupling agents to synthesize water-soluble siloxane resins that exhibit high condensation levels (>80%) and comprise oligomers with molecular weights below 2000 Da. These resins were then mixed with a hydrophilic monomer bearing ammonium and acrylamide groups, and porous polyethylene substrates were impregnated with the resulting mixtures and then irradiated with ultraviolet light. The hydrophilicity, mechanical strength, and other properties of the resulting membranes depended on the resin composition, indicating that the substrate pores were efficiently filled with the prepared resins and further suggesting that the membrane performance could be effectively altered by varying the resin composition. Moreover, the obtained membranes exhibited chemical stability in the pH range between 0 and 11 and in hot water at 60 °C. The reverse electrodialysis stack consisting of these membranes showed higher power density than a stack of commercial membranes. Therefore, it can be concluded that without employing volatile organic solvents for reverse electrodialysis, the developed technique is well-suited for the fabrication of ion-exchange membranes.

Wearable displays are considered as a bilateral communication tool in the hyperconnected era. Although several electronic clothing display was demonstrated, high power consumption issue still remained. Here, we present wireless powered wearable μLEDs (WμLEDs) with excellent stability. A custom-designed wireless power supply system operated a 30 × 30 WμLED array on a fabric. The WμLED stability was intensively investigated under bending, stretching, 85 °C/85% relative humidity and artificial sunlight conditions, showing the suitability of WμLED outdoor usage. Finally, a passive-matrix WμLED display successfully emitted a brilliant red glow on a fabric.

Wildland fire emissions cause adverse cardiopulmonary outcomes, yet controlled exposure studies to characterize health impacts of specific biomass sources have been complicated by the often latent effects of air pollution. The aim of this study was to determine if postprandial responses after a high fat challenge, long used clinically to predict cardiovascular risk, would unmask latent cardiometabolic responses in rats exposed to peat smoke, a key wildland fire air pollution source. Male Wistar Kyoto rats were exposed once (1 h) to filtered air (FA), or low (0.36 mg/m3 particulate matter) or high concentrations (3.30 mg/m3) of peat smoke, generated by burning peat from an Irish bog. Rats were then fasted overnight, and then administered an oral gavage of a HF suspension (60 kcal% from fat), mimicking a HF meal, 24 h post-exposure. In one cohort, cardiac and superior mesenteric artery function were assessed using high frequency ultrasound 2 h post gavage. In a second cohort, circulating lipids and hormones, pulmonary and systemic inflammatory markers, and circulating monocyte phenotype using flow cytometry were assessed before or 2 or 6 h after gavage. HF gavage alone elicited increases in circulating lipids characteristic of postprandial responses to a HF meal. Few effects were evident after peat exposure in un-gavaged rats. By contrast, exposure to low or high peat caused several changes relative to FA-exposed rats 2 and 6 h post HF gavage including increased heart isovolumic relaxation time, decreased serum glucose and insulin, increased CD11 b/c-expressing blood monocytes, increased serum total cholesterol, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, and alpha-2 macroglobulin (p = 0.063), decreased serum corticosterone, and increased lung gamma-glutamyl transferase. In summary, these findings demonstrate that a HF challenge reveals effects of air pollution that may otherwise be imperceptible, particularly at low exposure levels, and suggest exposure may sensitize the body to mild inflammatory triggers.

Multifunctional textiles, especially with self-cleaning characteristics are among the highly desired products to reduce cleaning effort, water resources and ease of maintenance. In this study the surface properties of cotton are successfully modified through crosslinking of citric acid/chitosan immobilized transition metal oxide (TMO) nano photocatalysts through a facile and cost-effective pad-dry-cure method. The chemical interaction was established through FTIR spectroscopy. All samples present broad-spectrum self-cleaning ability while ZnO immobilized crosslinked fabric was found to be excellent with up to 3 folds enhanced photocatalytic. In parallel to excellent self-cleaning, the as-finished fabrics exhibited extended antimicrobial performance coupled with added easy-care properties and a 28% improvement in strength retention.

In this paper we study a simplified transient energy-transport model in semiconductors with a general conductivity and the Dirichlet boundary conditions on an interval. By using a new iterative scheme, we prove the global existence and uniqueness of strong solutions provided that the variation of the temperature is small. Also, the existence and stability of stationary solutions are proved if the temperature is large.

Improving the efficiency of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for use in commercial fuel cells has been the subject of diverse synthetic research activities. However, due to their inferior catalytic performance and dispensability, there are still limitations to achieving breakthroughs regarding ORR catalytic activity using carbon nanomaterials, despite their high electron-transfer and mass-transport properties. In this study, we mimicked nature by using a biomineralization approach for controlling the growth of inorganic materials and demonstrated improved ORR values. The designed peptide, Hexcoil-Ala, is able to supramolecular assembly on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), leading to SWNTs that are well dispersed in aqueous solution. In order to direct gold nanoparticle (AuNP) nucleation sites, we substitute two residues in Hexcoil-Ala with cysteine to provide the mutated peptide, HexCoil-Ala-2Cys. This peptide affords a sophisticated, size-controlled, and well-dispersed arrangement of AuNPs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies confirmed the homogeneously well-aligned distribution of nanosized AuNPs on the HexCoil-Ala-2Cys structure, along the direction of SWNT axis. The (AuNPs/P-SWNT) composite in water provides dispersed and stable metallic nanoparticles of electrostatically modified Au through synergistic effects involving the peptide. Consequently, this catalyst exhibits improved ORR performance compared to bulk gold and even, in case of number of electrons ( n ) transferred, higher than the number of Pt/C. X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopies reveal the details of the electronic interactions among the components of the AuNP/P-SWNT composite, and how they facilitate the four-electron reaction pathway. This study provides valuable information for the optimization of catalyst synthesis and precise particle-size control, leading to stable, water-dispersive composites, with improved electronic properties for enhanced ORR performance in fuel cells.

Microglia are the resident immune cells which become activated in some pathological conditions in central nervous system (CNS). Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), an endogenous inflammatory phospholipid, is implicated in immunomodulatory function of glial cells in the CNS. Although several studies uncovered that LPC induces intracellular Ca2+ influx and morphologic change in microglia, there is still no direct evidence showing change of phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 (p-p38), a widely used microglia activation marker, by LPC. Furthermore, the cellular mechanism of LPC-induced microglia activation remains unknown. In this study, we found that LPC induced intracellular Ca2+ increase in primary cultured microglia, which was blocked in the presence of Gd3+, non-selective transient receptor potential (TRP) channel blocker. RT-PCR and whole cell patch clamp recordings revealed molecular and functional expression of TRP melastatin 2 (TRPM2) in microglia. Using western blotting, we also observed that LPC increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, and the increase of p-p38 expression is also reversed in TRPM2-knockout (KO) microglia. Moreover, LPC induced membrane trafficking of TRPM2 and intrathecal injection of LPC increased Iba-1 immunoreactivity in the spinal cord, which were significantly reduced in KO mice. In addition, LPC-induced intracellular Ca2+ increase and inward currents were abolished in TRPM2-KO microglia. Taken together, our results suggest that LPC induces intracellular Ca2+ influx and increases phosphorylation of p38 MAPK via TRPM2, which in turn activates microglia.

The exothermic reduction of oxides mixture (MoO3+2SiO2) by magnesium in NaF melt enables the synthesis of nanocrystalline MoSi2 powders in near-quantitative yields. The combustion wave with temperature of about 1000–1200 °C was recorded in highly diluted by NaF starting mixtures. The by-products of combustion reaction (NaF and MgO) were subsequently removed by leaching with acid and washing with water. The as-prepared MoSi2 nanopowder composed of spherical and dendritic shape particles was consolidated using the spark plasma sintering method at 1200–1500 °C and 50 MPa for 10 min. The result was dense compacts (98.6% theoretical density) possessing submicron grains and exhibiting hardness of 8.74–12.92 GPa.

Rhus javanica has long been used in traditional medicines, and found to possess bioactive properties. In this study, we sought to investigate whether Rhus javanica extract (RJE) has preventive effects against UVB-induced inflammation and photoaging. RJE was identified as a promising candidate based on an MMP-1 promoter assay, and we confirmed suppressive effects on UVB-induced COX-2 and MMP-1 expression (67.6% and 80.9%, respectively) in immortalized human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. RJE suppressed both UVB-induced mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt signalling pathways as well as EGFR activity. RJE significantly suppressed repetitive UVB-induced wrinkle formation and COX-2 and MMP-13 expression in vivo . Among the compounds identified, syringic acid was found to exhibit the strongest inhibitory effect on UVB-induced MMP-1 promoter activity (45.2%). These results demonstrate that RJE has potent preventive activity for skin inflammation and photoaging which occurs via suppression of pathways related to EGFR.

The Marble campaign on the National Ignition Facility investigates the effect of heterogeneous mix on thermonuclear burn for comparison to a probability distribution function (PDF) burn model. Marble utilizes plastic capsules filled with deuterated plastic foam and a fill gas containing tritium. As the capsules implode, the deuterium in the foam mixes with the tritium gas, and DT neutrons are produced as the shocks compress and heat the mixture. The yield of DT neutrons is dependent on the uniformity of the mix, with more heterogeneous mix producing fewer neutrons. In Marble, the heterogeneity of the mix is controlled by varying the diameter of voids introduced into the foam. The first NIF Marble campaign has been executed in which the Marble capsules were indirectly driven with a single strong shock using NIF hohlraums. The experiments produce a low-convergence, high-ion-temperature implosion. The ratio of DT to DD neutron yield is largely consistent with uniform atomic mix for fine-pore foam, and increases slightly with void diameter, contrary to 1D simulations using the PDF burn model. Recent 3D high-resolution simulations of similar experiments performed on the Omega Laser Facility suggest an explanation.

The Cleveland airshed comprises a complex mixture of industrial source emissions that contribute to periods of non-attainment for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and are associated with increased adverse health outcomes in the exposed population. Specific PM sources responsible for health effects however are not fully understood. Size-fractionated PM (coarse, fine, and ultrafine) samples were collected using a ChemVol sampler at an urban site (G.T. Craig (GTC)) and rural site (Chippewa Lake (CLM)) from July 2009 to June 2010, and then chemically analyzed. The resulting speciated PM data were apportioned by EPA positive matrix factorization to identify emission sources for each size fraction and location. For comparisons with the ChemVol results, PM samples were also collected with sequential dichotomous and passive samplers, and evaluated for source contributions to each sampling site. The ChemVol results showed that annual average concentrations of PM, elemental carbon, and inorganic elements in the coarse fraction at GTC were ∼2, ∼7, and ∼3 times higher than those at CLM, respectively, while the smaller size fractions at both sites showed similar annual average concentrations. Seasonal variations of secondary aerosols (e.g., high NO3− level in winter and high SO42− level in summer) were observed at both sites. Source apportionment results demonstrated that the PM samples at GTC and CLM were enriched with local industrial sources (e.g., steel plant and coal-fired power plant) but their contributions were influenced by meteorological conditions and the emission source's operation conditions. Taken together the year-long PM collection and data analysis provides valuable insights into the characteristics and sources of PM impacting the Cleveland airshed in both the urban center and the rural upwind background locations. These data will be used to classify the PM samples for toxicology studies to determine which PM sources, species, and size fractions are of greatest health concern.

An effective matching scheme for robust stereo matching under various radiometric changes.A content adaptive descriptor-based approach to effectively reflect image contents.Entropy-based energy function guiding for weighting the elements of the descriptor.Outperforming the state-of-art algorithms by improving around 16.5% bad pixel displacements.It is robust to radiometric changes and can be applicable to outdoor applications. In a real stereo vision system, the acquired stereo images suffer from varying radiometric changes due to illumination and camera parameter changes. Therefore, we propose an effective matching scheme created by building a content adaptive descriptor. Specifically, the descriptor reflects image contents and its element are adaptively weighted and applied to estimate the correct corresponding pixels based on the entropy energy function even under radiometric changes. For the performance evaluation, the proposed scheme is compared with the state-of-art algorithm using Middlebury and KITTI Vision stereo datasets that have radiometric changes. Specifically, 24 of 71 indoor image pairs in the Middlebury and 3 of 7 outdoor pairs are selected, respectively. Experimental result shows that the proposed method reports 6.23% bad pixel matching on average, but it outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms by reducing around 2% bad pixel matching error, which achieves about 16.5% performance improvement.

We successfully synthesized plasma-polymerized films from a highly crosslinkable monomer, dicyclopentadiene (a norbornene derivative), using a low-temperature plasma process as an anti-corrosion coating for Cu metal plates. Plasma-enhanced deposition of polymer films from a dicyclopentadiene precursor was carried out using radio frequency (13.6 MHz) plasma generation with argon or nitrogen carrier gas and varying the input power (50–200 W). The surfaces of plasma-polymers synthesized using an argon carrier gas were more hydrophobic than those prepared with a nitrogen carrier gas, which can be attributed to the formation of C N CHx bonds due to nitrogen dissociation. The inhibition efficiency (IE) for Cu corrosion was estimated from potentiodynamic polarization curves to be enhanced up to ∼93%, which was proportional to the input power in the polymer synthesis. Interestingly, when using a nitrogen carrier gas, the plasma-polymerized films showed shifts of the corrosion potential to negative values. We suspect that nitrogen insertion into the films may result in polarization between nitrogen and copper atoms.

Effects of Li addition (2%, 5%, 8% and 11%) on microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-cast and as-extruded Mg–6Al–2Sn–0.4Mn-based alloys were investigated. Mg–xLi–6Al–2Sn–0.4Mn (x= 2, 5, 8 and 11, mass fraction, %) alloys were cast under an SF6 and CO2 atmosphere at 700 °C. After homogenization heat treatment at 350 °C, cast billets were extruded with a reduction ratio of 40:1 at 200 °C. Li addition to Mg–6Al–2Sn–0.4Mn resulted in the formation of MgSnLi2 and MgAlLi2 and/or AlLi intermetallic compounds and random basal texture. With increasing Li addition, β-Li phase was increased and the average area fraction of precipitates increased. Compression yield strength was increased from 212 to 235, 242 and 239 MPa as Li content was increased from 2% to 5%, 8% and 11%, respectively. Elongation was remarkably increased above 60% in 11% Li alloy. It is probable that Li-containing phases play a significant role in the enhanced mechanical properties by Li addition.

Developing efficient and eco-friendly extraction methods is a major goal of the functional food industry. We developed an ultrasonication extraction method for Undaria pinnatifida sporophyll requiring 6 h extraction time at 80% amplitude. This application of ultrasonication increases yield by 25% and decreases extraction time by approximately 18 h. Additionally, we investigated the effect of the ultrasonicated sporophyll from Undaria pinnatifida extract (UPE) on LPS-induced inflammation. Following ultrasonication, the average molecular weight decreases in comparison to conventional methods, in a similar manner to commercial fucoidan. UPE significantly suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitrite and PGE2 production and subsequently suppresses inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in Raw 264.7 cells. Western blot assay results also demonstrate that UPE strongly suppresses LPS-induced c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK) 1/2/MKK 4 and p38/MKK3/6 phosphorylation in Raw 264.7 cells. SR11302, an AP-1 specific inhibitor, suppressed LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expression. In addition, SiMLK3 strongly suppressed LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expression, as well as JNK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation in Raw 264.7 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that this ultrasonication extraction method is more efficient for extracting sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida extract, which has potent anti-inflammatory properties.

In real production systems, there are some uncertainties such as failure uncertainty and uncertain processing time. This paper addresses predictable scheduling and rescheduling, considering machine breakdown and eligibility in the unrelated parallel machines environment with job splitting including textile industry and printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. We propose a new approach to achieving robust and stable schedule to minimize expected maximum completion time and expected total deviation between the jobs' planned start times and actual start times simultaneously. In the first step of the approach, we present a predictable scheduling algorithm using the insertion of new idle time considering job splitting. In the next step, we present a schedule repair rule considering job splitting for rescheduling. The computational experiments show that the proposed algorithm outperforms alternative algorithms.

The pH, one of the critical factors in determining the size distribution of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), is not maintained at a constant value during the synthetic reaction. In this work, AuNPs were synthesized in the pH range of 5.5–10.5 and the pH was monitored in situ throughout the whole synthetic process. It was found that the citrate-based AuNP synthesis could be divided into two stages according to phases of pH change: a pH-decreasing early stage and a pH-increasing final stage. The narrowest size distribution at pH 7.5 can be well understood with these two phases of pH change.

TiO2 nanoparticles were used as MALDI matrix for detecting dimethyl methylphosphate (DMMP) and its efficiency, in terms of DMMP signal intensity in the MALDI-MS analysis, was compared with that of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated TiO2 matrix. Intensity of the DMMP signal in the MALDI-MS analysis was significantly increased by using PDMS-coated TiO2 matrix instead of bare ones. It was verified using FT-IR that the enhanced DMMP signal upon PDMS coating on TiO2 matrix is a result of weaker interactions between DMMP molecule and the PDMS-covered surface than that of bare TiO2. A weaker DMMP-matrix interaction can facilitate desorption of DMMP from the matrix surface in the MALDI process, yielding a higher sensitivity to DMMP in the MALDI-MS.

Thin film of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was deposited on SiO2 nanoparticles by chemical vapor deposition, and SiO2 became completely hydrophobic after PDMS coating. Mixtures of TiO2 and PDMS-coated SiO2 nanoparticles with various relative ratios were prepared, and distributed on glass surfaces, and water contact angles and photocatalytic activities of these surfaces were studied. Samples consisting of TiO2 and PDMS-coated SiO2 with a ratio of 7:3 showed a highly stable superhydrophobicity under UV irradiation with a water contact angle of 165° and UV-driven photocatalytic activity for decomposition of methylene blue and phenol in aqueous solution. Our process can be exploited for fabricating self-cleaning surfaces with dual functionality of superhydrophobicity and photocatalytic activity at the same time.

We report facile synthesis of polydopamine-functionalized graphene oxide/conducting polymer hybrids as an electrode material for supercapacitors. Bio-inspired polydopamine has catechol moieties that can undergo redox transformation, which may result in extra faradic capacitance. Polydopamine-functionalized graphene oxide hybrid materials, which were easily prepared by concomitant dopamine oxidation and slight reduction of graphene oxide, showed enhanced specific capacitance when compared to bare graphene oxide hybrid materials. Although polydopamine layers slightly decreased the conductivity of the hybrid materials, extra redox reactions appeared to contribute more to the overall specific capacitance.

Phenyl-functionalized mesoporous silicas (Ph-MSs) were synthesized as adsorbents of bisphenol A (BPA) from aqueous solutions via co-condensation method. Ph-MSs with different compositions, which were prepared using 10%, 15%, 20%, and 30% of phenyltriethoxysilane (PhTES) in silica precursors, were used in the adsorption of BPA in order to investigate the effect of surface hydrophobicities on the uptake of hydrophobic organic compounds. Material characterizations were carried out including X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption/desorption measurement, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and measurement of point of zero charge. The higher composition of PhTES offered higher hydrophobicity to the prepared Ph-MSs, whereas decreasing their structural order and surface area. Adsorption capacity of Ph-MSs for BPA depended on the surface area rather than the surface hydrophobicity. However, the adsorption data at low concentrations showed that the adsorption affinities for BPA were in the order of Ph-MS30 > Ph-MS20 > Ph-MS15 > Ph-MS10, which were fully consistent with the order of their surface hydrophobicities. Among the prepared materials, Ph-MS20 was selected as a representative adsorbent, and used to investigate further adsorption characteristics. Several aromatic compounds including p-t-butylaniline, p-t-butylphenol, aniline, and phenol, which had the similar molecular structures with BPA, were also adopted as adsorbates for the adsorption onto Ph-MS20. The selective adsorption behavior of Ph-MS was discussed using the equilibrium isotherms of the adsorbates on Ph-MS20.

Effects of Li addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast and as-extruded Mg–xLi–3Al–1Sn–0.4Mn alloys were investigated. Mg–3 wt%Al–1 wt%Sn–0.4 wt%Mn alloys with different Li addition (5, 8 and 11 wt%) were cast under an SF6 and CO2 atmosphere at 700 °C and extruded at 200 °C. Li addition to Mg–3Al–1Sn–0.4Mn resulted in the formation of MgLi2Sn and MgLi2Al intermetallic compounds and random basal texture. With increasing Li addition from 5 to 8 and 11 wt%, ultimate tensile strength was decreased from 258 to 240 and 220 MPa. On the other hand, the elongation was improved remarkably from 16.0% to 15.4% and 35.1% at room temperature due to transformation from HCP to BCC crystal structure and a weaker basal texture. In the Mg–xLi–3Al–1Sn–0.4Mn alloys, MgLi2Sn and MgLi2Al intermetallic compounds played a significant role for the increase of the mechanical properties.

Studies of polystyrene nanoparticle (PNP) trafficking across mouse alveolar epithelial cell monolayers (MAECM) show apical-to-basolateral flux of 20 and 120 nm amidine-modified PNP is ~ 65 times faster than that of 20 and 100 nm carboxylate-modified PNP, respectively. Calcium chelation with EGTA has little effect on amidine-modified PNP flux, but increases carboxylate-modified PNP flux ~ 50-fold. PNP flux is unaffected by methyl-β-cyclodextrin, while ~ 70% decrease in amidine- (but not carboxylate-) modified PNP flux occurs across chlorpromazine- or dynasore-treated MAECM. Confocal microscopy reveals intracellular amidine- and carboxylate-modified PNP and association of amidine- (but not carboxylate-) modified PNP with clathrin heavy chain. These data indicate (1) amidine-modified PNP translocate across MAECM primarily via clathrin-mediated endocytosis and (2) physicochemical properties (e.g., surface charge) determine PNP interactions with mouse alveolar epithelium. Uptake/trafficking of nanoparticles into/across epithelial barriers is dependent on both nanoparticle physicochemical properties and (based on comparison with our prior results) specific epithelial cell type. From the Clinical Editor In this study of polystyrene nanoparticle trafficking across mouse alveolar epithelial cell monolayers, the authors determined that uptake/trafficking of nanoparticles into/across epithelial barriers is dependent on both nanoparticle physicochemical properties and the specific type of epithelial cells.

In this work, Mg–3 wt%Zn–1 wt%Sn–0.4 wt%Mn alloys with different Li addition (5, 8 and 11 wt%) were melted and extruded at 200 °C. Effects of Li addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast and as-extruded Mg– x Li–3Zn–1Sn–0.4Mn alloys were investigated. Li addition to Mg–3Zn–1Sn–0.4Mn based alloy resulted in the formation of MgLi 2 Sn intermetallic compound. By Li addition from 5 wt% to 8 and 11 wt%, the ductility was significantly increased from 18.1% to 30.9% and 49.3% at room temperature due to transformation from HCP to BCC crystal structure and formation of a weaker basal texture of the α-Mg phase region. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was decreased from 252.0, 201.1 and 148.7 MPa as Li content increased from 5 to 8 and 11 wt%. On the other hand, the tensile strength of Sn containing alloys was remarkably increased compared to the alloys without Sn addition due to the presence of the fine MgLi 2 Sn intermetallic compounds.

The possible protective effects of Chlorella vulgaris extract (CVE) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced acute hepatic injury in mice and the mechanism underlying these effects was investigated. CCl(4) administration caused a marked increase in the levels of serum aminotransferases, lipid peroxidation and cytochrome P450-2E1 (CYP450) expression. Also, decreased glutathione (GSH) content and activities of cellular antioxidant defense enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were found after CCl(4) exposure. All of these phenotypes were markedly reversed by preadministration of the mice with CVE. In addition, CVE exhibited antioxidant effects on FeCl(2)-ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation in mouse liver homogenates, and on superoxide radical scavenging activity. Taken together, these results suggest that CVE produced a protective action on CCl(4)-induced acute hepatic injury in mice, presumably through blocking CYP-mediated CCl(4) bioactivation, inducing the GSH levels, antioxidant enzyme activities and free radical scavenging effect. Therefore, CVE may be an effective hepatoprotective agent and viable candidate for treating hepatic disorders and other oxidative stress-related diseases.

We report on the formation mechanism of neck during electro-discharge sintering (EDS) upon various electrical input energy using Cu-based metallic glass and W powders. Microstructural investigation reveals that crystalline phases are observed preferentially on the surface of the Cu-based metallic glassy powder indicating energy concentration occurs at the powder surface. Moreover, it is clearly observed that needle-like morphology on the W powder surface suggesting that both surface melting and evaporation take place, followed by rapid freezing the substance. Therefore, these results strongly support that formation of neck during EDS is closely connected to the energy convergence on the thin layer of the powder surface inducing melting or evaporation.

Organic–inorganic hybrid mesoporous material (Ph-MS) was synthesized by co-condensation of phenyltriethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane. Ph-MS, which had pore size of 0.96 nm and surface area of 750 m2/g, exhibited mesoscopic orderness and suitable textural properties to act as a potential adsorbent for bisphenol A (BPA), which is one of the endocrine disrupting chemicals. Ph-MS adsorbed most amount of BPA faster than powder activated carbon (PAC), and the kinetic adsorption data for Ph-MS was fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Maximum adsorption capacities of adsorbents were estimated from isotherm data using Langmuir model. Ph-MS exhibited high adsorption affinity to BPA showing large adsorption capacity of 351 mg/g, while showing little adsorption affinity to phenol (40 mg/g). PAC, which is one of the general adsorbents for organic compounds, showed large adsorption capacity for both BPA (337 mg/g) and phenol (253 mg/g). Adsorption selectivity of Ph-MS, defined as a relative equilibrium distribution coefficient, KRD, for BPA against phenol, was at least 5 times larger than that of PAC, showing high adsorption selectivity for BPA. The selective adsorption behavior of Ph-MS was discussed using the results of material characterizations including X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption/desorption measurements, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the results of adsorption experiments.

We designed and evaluated a chip-type unipolar charger based on a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) process for a compact, portable, inexpensive, and easy-to-deploy instrument to measure real-time aerosol particle size distribution with reasonable accuracy. The charger was evaluated using two parameters: particle loss and charging characteristics which were the product of penetration (p) and average number of charges (np). Particle losses were below 16.6%, and p·np was approximately proportional to d p 2 . After evaluation, the number concentrations and the geometric mean diameters of NaCl aerosol particles were estimated using a method presented in Park, An, and Hwang (2007a) and were compared to scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) data. To simulate the charger, a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, FLUENT (6.3 version), with external user defined function (UDF) code, was used to solve the electric field, flow field, average particle charge, and particle trajectories. The measured data of particle loss, average particle charge, number concentration, and geometric mean diameter were in good agreement with the results calculated by FLUENT.

For collection and concentration of bioaerosols, we designed and evaluated a single stage virtual impactor, which was fabricated by micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) process. The cut-off diameter of 1 μm was selected, since 1 μm is the lowest size as used in the US Government Joint Biological Point Detection System [Haglund, J. S., & McFarland, A. R. (2004). A circumferential slot virtual impactor. Aerosol Science and Technology , 38 , 664–674; Moshier, T., & Buonaugurio, T. (2000). Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS) requirements and design interplay. Proceedings of the First Joint Conference on Point Detection for Chemical and Biological Defense , October 23–27, 2000, Williamsburg, VA.] The design value of a 1 μm cut-off diameter required a nozzle width and thickness of 880 and 200 μm, respectively. The virtual impactor was evaluated for physical and biological collection efficiencies. For the performance evaluation of physical collection efficiency and wall loss, polystyrene latex (PSL) particles were generated from an atomizer and their size distribution was measured using an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS, TSI model 3321) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS, TSI model 3936). The measured cut-off diameter was 0.95 μm, which agreed with the calculated results (=0.94 μm) determined with a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package, FLUENT, and the measured wall loss was below 33.5%. For the performance evaluation of biological collection efficiency, Staphylococcus epidermidis bioaerosols were dispersed into air by a nebulizer. The bioaerosols were measured using APS and sampled with a bioaerosol sampler. The overall physical collection efficiency based on the number concentration was 73.8±3%, which was similar to the one based on the number of colonies (=76.7±7%). We found that most of the bioaerosols collected and concentrated by our virtual impactor were viable.

Recently, Zhang et al. proposed a location-based threshold-endorsement scheme (LTE) to thwart bogus data injection attacks. This scheme exhibits much greater filtering power than earlier symmetric schemes and results in enhanced energy savings. In this paper, we show that LTE has fatal vulnerabilities. We also propose an improved scheme that mitigates the weakness and thereby achieves the original claims of Zhang et al. without lessening remarkable filtering power intended in LTE.

Although several successful biosensors exist, they often require complex fabrication sequence or time-consuming sensing processes such as an off-site verification of a sensing result. At the same time, the biosensors generally focus on high sensitivity. This paper reports a cost-competitive biosensor that is capable of simple and direct detection of biomolecules without any off-site verification. The biosensor is realized with a microwave passive with a simple structure, a coplanar waveguide (CPW)-to-slotline ring resonator (CSRR) that resonant frequency is 3.375 GHz. The CSRR biosensor was then modified for higher sensitivity by increasing the effective sensing area. Two kinds of the CSRR biosensor were realized using micromachining technology. After simple fabrication, the biosensors were electrically characterized by measuring the resonant frequency shift as the biotin and streptavidin attached on the CSRR biosensor. The biotin and streptavidin induce a resonant frequency decrease of 65 and 10 MHz for the original CSRR biosensor, and 79 and 18 MHz for the modified CSRR biosensor, respectively. Based on the measurement of the resonant frequency shift, the relative permittivity of the biomolecules was calculated by numerical simulation, and was found to be 9800 for biotin and 500 for streptavidin.

In this study, two drugs, terbutaline sulphate (TS) and ipratropium bromide (IB), were micronized by means of a CO 2 -based aerosol solvent extraction system (ASES). TS and IB particles with albumin as additive were also precipitated in order to improve the powder flow behavior in an accelerating air flow. Albumin is considered an inactive ingredient for FDA-approved drugs and is endogenous to the lung. The addition of albumin affected the particle morphology resulting in improved aerosolization properties. In the present study, ASES experiments were conducted using a mixed solvent of ethanol/dimethylformamide (EtOH/DMF) for the micronization of TS and pure DMF was used as solvent for IB. For the respirable TS, optimum processing conditions were at about 100 bar and 50 °C. For the IB particles, the conditions were at 200 bar and 40 °C. The aerosol characteristics of all precipitated drug particles in this work were analyzed by comparing the particle size distribution (PSD) and the associated mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to those obtained from Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) and from the Micro-orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI). The results indicate that the TS and IB particles with albumin are less cohesive and less agglomerated in air flow, thus leading to more effective and consistent lung deposition.

Ipratropium bromide (IB) was micronized by means of a CO2-based aerosol solvent extraction system (ASES) in order to improve the particle shape and size characteristics for use in inhalation therapy. The particle size parameter most relevant to pulmonary delivery is the aerodynamic diameter. In this study, ASES experiments were conducted using various liquid solvents for IB such as dimethylformamide (DMF), ethanol (EtOH), and mixtures of ethanol and acetone (EtOH/Ac). Several operating parameters were varied including temperature, pressure, IB concentration in the liquid solution, and the solution injection rate. The particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The true density of the particles was measured using a pycnometer and the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) determined. The results indicate that the size and morphology of the microparticles are most sensitive to solvent choice. Optimum results were obtained when IB particles were precipitated from DMF. The particles were more regular in shape, slightly elliptical, not agglomerated, and within the aerodynamic diameter range of 0.6–3.0 μm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies indicate no structural deformation as result of the ASES process. The regional depositions of inhaled IB particles were estimated using a multiple-path model of particle deposition (MPPD). The results indicate that IB particles with MMAD in the range of 2–3 μm deposited mainly in the respiratory airways in the lung.

Isoeugenol is a naturally occurring methoxyphenol found in a variety of foods and essential oils. We investigated the effect of isoeugenol on T-cell function and the regulatory mechanism underlying its effect. Isoeugenol and its structural analog eugenol suppressed the lymphoproliferative response to concanavalin A stimulation in B6C3F1 mouse splenocyte cultures. Isoeugenol inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus ionomycin (Io)-induced IL-2 mRNA expression and protein secretion in B6C3F1 mouse splenocytes, and in EL4.IL-2 mouse T-cells, as determined by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. To further characterize the inhibitory mechanism of isoeugenol at the transcriptional level, we examined the DNA binding activity of the transcription factors for IL-2 using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Isoeugenol decreased the binding activity of NF-AT and NF-kappaB in PMA/Io-stimulated EL4.IL-2 cells, but no significant effect was observed for AP-1 or Oct binding activity. Western blot analysis showed that isoeugenol also decreased the nuclear translocation of cytoplasmic NF-AT and NF-kappaB. These results suggest that isoeugenol suppresses IL-2 production through a decrease of IL-2 mRNA expression and that the inhibition is mediated, at least in part, through the down-regulation of NF-AT and NF-kappaB.

This paper presents a compound nerve action potential (CNAP) monitoring system of a peripheral nerve which is composed of a sieve-shape flexible microelectrode array (MEA), a polyglycolic acid (PGA) conduit and a bio-potential amplifier. The system observes a regenerated peripheral nerve by measuring its CNAP. An MEA is fabricated through micromachining technology, and its interfacial impedance (420 kΩ/μm 2 ) and signal transfer characteristics were analyzed. The fabricated MEA was assembled with the PGA conduit, and then the assembly had been implanted into a sciatic nerve of a rat. After 12 week-implantation periods, regenerated state of the damaged sciatic nerve was investigated by gait analysis and CNAP measurement. From the gait analysis, sciatic function index (SFI) was calculated to be −48.5 ± 15.0. According to the CNAP measurement, threshold potential was 250 μV in contrast to 110 μV for a normal nerve. After the functional tests, regenerated nerves were harvested and their morphologies were examined through toluidine blue (TB), Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images. According to the morphology study, it was confirmed that proximal and distal nerve stump showed similar morphology and axon number.

This paper reports a new relative humidity (RH) sensor for monitoring operating environment of a radio frequency (RF) system. The proposed RH sensor is based on two different microwave resonators in its structure, a coplanar waveguide (CPW)-to-slotline ring resonator and a microstrip patch antenna, and a customized polyimide film for humidity sensing material. To integrate a humidity sensor without making a RF system complex, first harmonic resonant frequency of the resonators are designed to be 3.375 and 5.0 GHz for the CPW-to-slotline ring resonator and the microstrip patch antenna, respectively. For high sensitivity of the polyimide film to RH change, it was synthesized from oxidianiline (ODA), m-pyromellitic dianhydride (m-PMDA), and N-methly-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) in which any hydrophobic elements are not included. This results in enhancement of water sorption characteristic of the polyimide film which serves as a dielectric layer of the microwave resonators. Calibration of the microwave RH sensors was carried out in terms of sensitivity, hysteresis and stability. These characteristics were analyzed through change in first harmonic resonant frequency of the resonators against various RH levels. Sensitivity of the RH sensor using the CPW-to-slotline ring resonator was −181 kHz/%RH and 4.95 mdB/%RH in terms of its resonant frequency and insertion loss, respectively. Hysteresis was 0.0013%, and average-percent-deviation from an average resonant frequency was 0.002%. Sensitivity of the antenna RH sensor was −108 kHz/%RH and 5.50 mdB/%RH in terms of resonant frequency and return loss, respectively.

Serotonergic genes have been implicated in mood disorders, alcoholism and certain personality traits. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and several important genes in the serotonin system. The participants included 146 healthy adults with no history of psychiatric disorders or other physical illness during the last 6 months. All participants were tested by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and genotyped serotonin transporter, serotonin receptors (5-HT 2A and 5-HT 6 ) and tryptophan hydroxylase gene polymorphisms. Genotyping was analyzed with polymerase chain reaction. Differences in TCI dimensions and sub-scales among three groups were examined with ANOVA. Our result suggested that 5-HT 2A receptor gene polymorphism (A-1438G) appears to be associated with self-determinism and self-transcendence (ST). Our result also indicated a significant relationship between 5-HT 6 receptor gene polymorphism (C267T) and ST. Further studies of polymorphisms of other genes and their interactions may clarify the complex relationship between personality and genes.

We present a study of designed self-assembly of 2D peptide monolayer crystals on the surface of graphene and graphitic interfaces and their properties in various biologically significant conditions. Atomic force microscopy imaging of dried peptides adsorbed on graphitic surfaces reveals an amorphous monolayer structure that contains voids due to drying. After rehydration, the peptide monolayer reorganizes into highly ordered domains comprised by parallel arranged peptides that are oriented on the graphitic structure with C3 symmetry, in close agreement with computational predictions.

With factor analysis of IR spectra obtained from undrawn poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (3GT) films annealed under various conditions, pure crystalline and amorphous spectra can be extracted and absorption peaks of each pure spectrum can be characterized. A fraction of crystalline phase in an annealed sample was obtained by curve-fitting the sample spectrum with two pure spectra on the basis of the least-squares method. The fraction of the crystalline phase obtained from this method showed a very good correlation to the crystallinity obtained by density measurement. Polarization characteristics of 3GT absorption peaks were determined from on-line measurement of polarized IR spectra of 3GT film under extension. Intrinsic transition moment angles of asymmetric and symmetric stretching vibrations of CH 2 , several CH 2 rocking bands, and the 1037 cm −1 band were obtained experimentally in conjunction with changes in the dichroic ratio of C O stretching vibration of the 3GT molecular chain as a function of draw ratio. The analysis of changes in the IR spectrum of 3GT under cyclic loading and unloading revealed no crystal–crystal transitions, such as reversible α→β transition of the poly(butylene terephthalate).

This paper analyzes the number of operations and parameters of general fuzzy logic control algorithms. And limitations of loop controllers to implement the fuzzy logic control are investigated in terms of computation time and required memory. Using analysis of general fuzzy logic control algorithms, it is shown that general fuzzy logic control algorithms are not suitable for loop controllers. A simplified fuzzy logic control for loop controllers is presented using a fixed control table with mapping parameters. This simplified fuzzy logic control is shown to be suitable for a loop controller with regard to the computation time and the required memory. For easy programming of the simplified fuzzy logic control, a fuzzy logic control block is suggested as a specific block for general graphical block diagram editors. Experiments show that the simplified fuzzy logic control overcomes the limitations of loop controllers and provides good performance.

This paper reports a micromachined nano-electrical mobility analyzer (NEMA) for classifying nano-sized airborne particles. The micromachined NEMA is able to classify particles by using both their inertia and electrical mobility. A micro-channel structure of the NEMA was defined by silicon bulk micromachining, and an electrode pair was deposited on the micro-channel. When electric potentials were applied to the electrodes, the electric mobility of the particles is different, which makes the particles classified according to their size. The fabricated device was characterized through classifying solid NaCl particles whose diameters were less than 100 nm and from the measurement; the collection efficiency of the NEMA was obtained for a particle of 40 nm in diameter, the highest collection efficiency was obtained at 70 V.

This paper presents a min–max generalized predictive control (MMGPC) which is robust to disturbances and has guaranteed stability. The MMGPC is derived from the min–max problem. It has non-recursive forms which do not use the Riccati equations. Stability conditions of the proposed control law are presented, which can be met by adjustment of some parameters such as input–output weightings. This paper presents a systematic way to obtain appropriate parameters for these stability conditions by using the linear matrix inequality (LMI) method. It is also shown that the suggested control guarantees that induced norm from disturbances to system outputs is bounded by a constant value under the same stability conditions.

This paper presents an application of min-max generalized predictive control (MMGPC) to burnthrough point control in industrial sintering processes. A simple model is used as a plant model for the burnthrough point control, which is derived for a complicated sintering process by introducing events into a continuous variable system. As a control algorithm, the MMGPC is used. It is robust to disturbances and has guaranteed stability. Simulations of the burnthrough point control using the MMGPC are performed using a derived model of a POSCO (Pohang Steel Company, Korea) sintering plant and real burnthrough time data of sinter packages. The simulation results of the MMGPC are compared with those of PID control, and are satisfactory.