Direct measurements of (p, \gamma) cross-sections at astrophysical energies using radioactive beams and the Daresbury Recoil Separator

There are a number of astrophysical environments in which the path of nucleosynthesis proceeds through proton-rich nuclei. These nuclei have traditionally not been available as beams, and thus proton-capture reactions on these nuclei could only be studied indirectly. At the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF), some of the first direct measurements of (p, $ \gamma$ ) cross-sections on radioactive beams have been made. The Daresbury Recoil Separator (DRS) has been used to separate the recoils of interest from the unreacted primary beam and identify them in an isobutane-filled ionization counter. First data from ¹⁷F (p, $ \gamma$ ¹⁸Ne and ⁷Be (p, $ \gamma$ ⁸B measurements are presented.     

Room-temperature ferromagnetism of Cu ion-implanted Ga-doped ZnO

1 MeV Cu²⁺ ions have been implanted into un-doped ZnO and Ga-doped ZnO films with a dose of 1 × 10¹⁷ ions/cm² at room-temperature. Cu ion-implanted Ga-doped ZnO had ferromagnetism at room-temperature and the saturation magnetization of this sample was estimated to be 0.12 μ_B per Cu, while the Cu ion-implanted un-doped ZnO did not show ferromagnetic behavior. Near-edge X-ray fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy revealed that a partial amount of implanted Cu ions existed as Cu²⁺ (d⁹) state in Ga-doped ZnO film. On the other hand, almost Cu atoms existed as Cu¹⁺ (d¹⁰) state in un-doped ZnO film. However, the subsequent annealing at temperature above 800 °C on this ferromagnetic sample induced the annihilation of ferromagnetism due to the formation of non-ferromagnetic Cu₂O phase.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-arachidonoyl glycine,an abundant endogenous lipid,potently drives directed cellular migration through GPR18, the putative abnormal cannabidiol receptor

Background  

Microglia provide continuous immune surveillance of the CNS and upon activation rapidly change phenotype to express receptors that respond to chemoattractants during CNS damage or infection. These activated microglia undergo directed migration towards affected tissue. Importantly, the molecular species of chemoattractant encountered determines if microglia respond with pro- or anti-inflammatory behaviour, yet the signaling molecules that trigger migration remain poorly understood. The endogenous cannabinoid system regulates microglial migration via CB₂ receptors and an as yet unidentified GPCR termed the 'abnormal cannabidiol' (Abn-CBD) receptor. Abn-CBD is a synthetic isomer of the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) and is inactive at CB₁ or CB₂ receptors, but functions as a selective agonist at this G_i/o-coupled GPCR. N-arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly) is an endogenous metabolite of the endocannabinoid anandamide and acts as an efficacious agonist at GPR18. Here, we investigate the relationship between NAGly, Abn-CBD, the unidentified 'Abn-CBD' receptor, GPR18, and BV-2 microglial migration.     

Influence of TiO2 nanotube morphology and TiCl4 treatment on the charge transfer in dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs), TiO₂ nanotube arrays (NTAs), and surface-modified NTAs with a TiCl₄ treatment. The photovoltaic efficiencies of the DSSCs using TiO₂ NP, NTA, and TiCl₄-treated NTA electrodes are 4.25, 4.74, and 7.47 %, respectively. The highest performance was observed with a TiCl₄-treated TiO₂ NTA photoanode, although in the case of the latter two electrodes, the amounts of N719 dye adsorbed were similar and 68 % of that of the NP electrode. Electrochemical impedance measurements show that the overall resistance, including the charge–transfer resistance, was smaller with NTA morphologies than with NP morphologies. We suggest that a different electron transfer mechanism along the one-dimensional nanostructure of the TiO₂ NTAs contributes to the smaller charge–transfer resistance, resulting in a higher short circuit current (J _sc), even at lower dye adsorption. Furthermore, the TiCl₄-treated NTAs showed even smaller charge–transfer resistance, resulting in the highest J _sc value, because the downward shift in the conduction band edge improves the electron injection efficiency from the excited dye into the TiCl₄-treated TiO₂ electrodes.     

A skin detection approach based on the Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence

Skin detection is an important step for a wide range of research related to computer vision and image processing and several methods have already been proposed to solve this problem. However, most of these methods suffer from accuracy and reliability problems when they are applied to a variety of images obtained under different conditions. Performance degrades further when fewer training data are available. Besides these issues, some methods require long training times and a significant amount of parameter tuning. Furthermore, most state-of-the-art methods incorporate one or more thresholds, and it is difficult to determine accurate threshold settings to obtain desirable performance. These problems arise mostly because the available training data for skin detection are imprecise and incomplete, which leads to uncertainty in classification. This requires a robust fusion framework to combine available information sources with some degree of certainty. This paper addresses these issues by proposing a fusion-based method termed Dempster–Shafer-based Skin Detection (DSSD). This method uses six prominent skin detection criteria as sources of information (SoI), quantifies their reliabilities (confidences), and then combines their confidences based on the Dempster–Shafer Theory (DST) of evidence. We use the DST as it offers a powerful and flexible framework for representing and handling uncertainties in available information and thus helps to overcome the limitations of the current state-of-the-art methods. We have verified this method on a large dataset containing a variety of images, and achieved a 90.17% correct detection rate (CDR). We also demonstrate how DSSD can be used when very little training data are available, achieving a CDR as high as 87.47% while the best result achieved by a Bayesian classifier is only 68.81% on the same dataset. Finally, a generalized DSSD (GDSSD) is proposed achieving 91.12% CDR.     

Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Ethanol Extract of Prasiola japonica,an Edible Freshwater Green Algae,and Its Various Solvent Fractions in LPS-Induced Macrophages and Carrageenan-Induced Paw Edema via the AP-1 Pathway

Prasiola japonica possesses several biological activities. However, reports on the anti-inflammatory activities and molecular mechanisms of its different solvent fractions remain limited. In this study, we investigated the potential anti-inflammatory activities of P. japonica ethanol extract (Pj-EE) and four solvent fractions of Pj-EE made with hexane (Pj-EE-HF), chloroform (Pj-EE-CF), butanol (Pj-EE-BF), or water (Pj-EE-WF) in both in vitro (LPS-induced macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells) and in vivo (carrageenan-induced acute paw edema mouse models) experiments. The most active solvent fraction was selected for further analysis. Various in vitro and in vivo assessments, including nitric oxide (NO), cytokines, luciferase assays, real-time polymerase chain reactions, and immunoblotting analyses were performed to evaluate the underlying mechanisms. In addition, the phytochemical constituents were characterized by Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In in vitro studies, the highest inhibition of NO production was observed in Pj-EE-CF. Further examination revealed that Pj-EE-CF decreased the expression of inflammation-related cytokines in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells and suppressed subsequent AP-1-luciferase activity by inhibition of phosphorylation events in the AP-1 signaling pathway. Pj-EE-CF treatment also demonstrated the strongest reduction in thickness and volume of carrageenan-induced paw edema, while Pj-EE-BF showed the lowest activity. Furthermore, Pj-EE-CF also reduced gene expression and cytokines production in tissue lysates of carrageenan-induced paw edema. These findings support and validate the evidence that Pj-EE, and especially Pj-EE-CF, could be a good natural source for an anti-inflammatory agent that targets the AP1 pathway.     

Prenylated Flavonoid Glycosides with PCSK9 mRNA Expression Inhibitory Activity from the Aerial Parts of Epimedium koreanum

Phytochemical investigation on the n-BuOH-soluble fraction of the aerial parts of Epimedium koreanum using the PCSK9 mRNA monitoring assay led to the identification of four previously undescribed acylated flavonoid glycosides and 18 known compounds. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by NMR, MS, and other chemical methods. All isolated compounds were tested for their inhibitory activity against PCSK9 mRNA expression in HepG2 cells. Of the isolates, compounds 6, 7, 10, 15, and 17–22 were found to significantly inhibit PCSK9 mRNA expression. In particular, compound 7 was shown to increase LDLR mRNA expression. Thus, compound 7 may potentially increase LDL uptake and lower cholesterol levels in the blood.     

Anticancer Activity of 2-O-caffeoyl Alphitolic Acid Extracted from the Lichen,Usnea barbata 2017-KL-10

Colorectal cancer is one of the life-threatening ailments causing high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Despite the innovation in medical genetics, the prognosis for metastatic colorectal cancer in patients remains unsatisfactory. Recently, lichens have attracted the attention of researchers in the search for targets to fight against cancer. Lichens are considered mines of thousands of metabolites. Researchers have reported that lichen-derived metabolites demonstrated biological effects, such as anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic, antipyretic, antiproliferative, and cytotoxic, on various cell lines. However, the exploration of the biological activities of lichens’ metabolites is limited. Thus, the main objective of our study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of secondary metabolites isolated from lichen (Usnea barbata 2017-KL-10) on the human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. In this study, 2OCAA exhibited concentration-dependent anticancer activities by suppressing antiapoptotic genes, such as MCL-1, and inducing apoptotic genes, such as BAX, TP53, and CDKN1A(p21). Moreover, 2OCAA inhibited the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Taken together, these data suggest that 2OCAA is a better therapeutic candidate for colorectal cancer.