Microstructural control and selective C2H5OH sensing properties of Zn2SnO4 nanofibers prepared by electrospinning

Microstructural evolution of spinel Zn(2)SnO(4) nanofibers was manipulated via an in situ phase separation process of inorganic precursors and a matrix polymer during electrospinning and calcination. Chemiresistive gas sensors using porous Zn(2)SnO(4) fibers exhibited superior C(2)H(5)OH sensing response.     

Efficient and stable panchromatic squaraine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

A new series of stable, unsymmetrical squaraine near-IR sensitizers (JK-216 and JK-217), which are assembled using both thiophenyl pyrrolyl and indolium groups, exhibit a panchromatic light harvesting up to 780 nm. The JK-216 based cell exhibited a record efficiency of 6.29% for near-IR DSSCs. In addition, the JK-217 device showed an excellent stability under a light soaking test at 60 °C for 1000 h.     

Size dependent macrophage responses and toxicological effects of Ag nanoparticles

The immune-response of macrophages is an important area of investigation since it represents the major pathway by which early-stage defense barriers are established in skin, lungs, and mucosal systems to counteract foreign objects. In this study, we have examined the size-dependent inflammatory and toxicological effects of nanostructured silver particles (nano-Ag) on macrophage immune cells.     

Visualization of tyrosinase activity in melanoma cells by a BODIPY-based fluorescent probe

We have presented a fluorescent probe 1 that exhibits a fluorescence turn-on signal upon reaction with tyrosinase, and we show that it is readily employed for the assessment of tyrosinase activity and tyrosinase inhibitor activity in buffered aqueous solution, and further utilized for the visualization of endogenous tyrosinase activity in living melanoma cells.     

Effect of organic vapors and potential-dependent Raman scattering of 2,6-dimethylphenylisocyanide on platinum nanoaggregates

The surface-enhanced Raman scattering characteristics of 2,6-dimethylphenylisocyanide (2,6-DMPI) on Pt nanoaggregates, in ambient and electrochemical environments and in the presence of organic vapors, were examined and compared with those on Au nanoaggregates. Due to the exclusive adsorption via the isocyanide group, the NC stretching band was very susceptible to the measurement conditions although the ring associated bands showed negligible peak shifts. In ambient conditions, the peak shift of the NC stretching vibration on Pt (29 cm(-1)) was one half of that on Au (61 cm(-1)), suggesting that the electron donation capability of the isocyanide group to Au was greater than that to Pt. In the electrochemical environment, the NC stretching peak varied linearly with slopes of ～42 and ～36 cm(-1) V(-1) on Pt and Au, respectively. On the other hand, the NC stretching bands of 2,6-DMPI on Pt red-shifted by as much as 15 and 41 cm(-1), in the presence of acetone and ammonia, respectively, corresponding to the lowering of the surface potential of Pt nanoaggregates from +0.2 to -0.2 and -0.8 V, respectively. On Au nanoaggregates, however, acetone appeared to increase the surface potential of Au from +0.2 to +0.3 V, although ammonia decreased the surface potential from +0.2 to -0.4 V. Acetone must then act as an electron donor when interacting with Pt while it serves as an electron acceptor when interacting with Au, in agreement with an ab initio quantum mechanical calculation.     

Experimental investigation of the influences of shape and surface area on the EGR cooler efficiency

The cooled EGR system is one of the most effective techniques currently available for reducing NO_x emissions. In this study, engine dynamometer experiments were performed to investigate the efficiencies of the shell and tube-type and stack-type EGR coolers. The results show that the heat exchange of the stack-type EGR cooler is much more effective than that of the shell and tube type because of the increased surface area and better mixing of the coolant flow, and also more PM is produced at low exhaust gas temperature than at high temperature.     

Existence of a complete holomorphic vector field via the Kähler–Einstein metric

In this paper, we study the existence of a complete holomorphic vector field on a strongly pseudoconvex complex manifold admitting a negatively curved complete Kähler–Einstein metric and a discrete sequence of automorphisms. Using the method of potential scaling, we will show that there is a potential function of the Kähler–Einstein metric whose differential has a constant length. Then, we will construct a complete holomorphic vector field from the gradient vector field of the potential function.

     

Synthesis of Moracin C and Its Derivatives with a 2-arylbenzofuran Motif and Evaluation of Their PCSK9 Inhibitory Effects in HepG2 Cells

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a key factor in several cardiovascular diseases, as it is responsible for the elevation of circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in blood plasma by direct interaction with the LDL receptor. The development of orally available drugs to inhibit this PCSK9-LDLR interaction is a highly desirable objective. Here, we report the synthesis of naturally occurring moracin compounds and their derivatives with a 2-arylbenzofuran motif to inhibit PCSK9 expression. In addition, we discuss a short approach involving the three-step synthesis of moracin C and a divergent method to obtain various analogs from one starting material. Among the tested derivatives, compound 7 (97.1%) was identified as a more potent inhibitor of PCSK9 expression in HepG2 cells than berberine (60.9%). These results provide a better understanding of the structure–activity relationships of moracin derivatives for the inhibition of PCSK9 expression in human hepatocytes.