Scanning Electron Thermal Absorbance Microscopy for Light Element Detection and Atomic Number Analysis.

Recent developments in nanoscale thermal metrology using electron microscopy have made impressive advancements in measuring either phononic or thermal transport properties of nanoscale samples. However, its potential in material analysis has never been considered. Here we introduce a direct thermal absorbance measurement platform in scanning electron microscope (SEM) and demonstrate that its signal can be utilized for atomic number (Z) analysis at nanoscales. We prove that the measured absorbance of materials is complementary to signals of backscattering electrons but exhibits a much higher collection efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio. Thus, it not only enables successful detections of light elements/compounds under low acceleration voltages of SEM but also allows quantitative Z analyses in agreement with simulations. The direct thermal absorbance measurement platform would become an ideal tool for SEM, especially for thin films, light elements/compounds, or biological samples at nanoscales.

Panax ginseng and salvia miltiorrhiza supplementation abolishes eccentric exercise-induced vascular stiffening: a double-blind randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Muscle damage induced by unaccustomed or eccentric exercise results in delayed onset vascular stiffening. We tested the hypothesis that a 7-day supplementation of panax ginseng and salvia miltiorrhiza prior to an acute eccentric exercise could attenuate arterial stiffening. METHODS: By using a double-blind study placebo-controlled randomized design, subjects were randomly assigned to either the Chinese herb (N = 12) or the placebo group (N = 11) and performed a downhill running (eccentric exercise) trial and a control (seated rest) trial. RESULTS: Muscle soreness increased 1-2 days after exercise similarly in both groups, whereas the herb group demonstrated a faster recovery on active range of motion. Plasma creatine kinase concentration increased significantly at 24 h in both groups but the magnitude of increase was attenuated in the herb group. Arterial stiffness as measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity increased significantly at 24 h in the placebo group but such increase was absent in the herb group. Flow-mediated dilation did not change in either group. Plasma concentrations of CRP and IL-6 increased in the placebo group but no such increases were observed in the herb group. Changes in arterial stiffness induced by eccentric exercise were associated with the corresponding changes in IL-6 (r = 0.46, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A short-term Chinese herb supplementation of panax ginseng and salvia miltiorrhiza ameliorated the delayed onset vascular stiffening induced by acute downhill running exercise. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02007304. Registered Dec. 5, 2013).

Exchange-Interaction-Like Behavior in Ferroelectric Bilayers.

Interlayer coupling in materials, such as exchange interactions at the interface between an antiferromagnet and a ferromagnet, can produce exotic phenomena not present in the parent materials. While such interfacial coupling in magnetic systems is widely studied, there is considerably less work on analogous electric counterparts (i.e., akin to electric "exchange-bias-like" or "exchange-spring-like" interactions between two polar materials) despite the likelihood that such effects can also engender new features associated with anisotropic electric dipole alignment. Here, electric analogs of such exchange interactions are reported, and their physical origins are explained for bilayers of in-plane polarized Pb1-x Srx TiO3 ferroelectrics. Variation of the strontium content and thickness of the layers provides for deterministic control over the switching properties of the bilayer system resulting in phenomena analogous to an exchange-spring interaction and, leveraging added control of these interactions with an electric field, the ability to realize multistate-memory function. Such observations not only hold technological promise for ferroelectrics and multiferroics but also extend the similarities between ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials to include the manifestation of exchange-interaction-like phenomena.

Danggui Buxue Tang attenuates eosinophil infiltration and airway hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic mice.

BACKGROUND: Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), an herbal formula containing Angelica sinensis (AS) and Astragalus membranaceus (AM) (AS:AM = 1:5, designated as DBT1 here), has been used in Chinese medicine to enhance qi and blood circulation. In addition, DBT has served as a treatment for atopic dermatitis in dogs in Taiwan. It also may improve fibrosis in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated the effect of oral administration of DBT1 in asthma in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice. METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA and fed with DBT1 or modified formulas of DBT1, designated as DBT2 (AS:AM = 1:1) and DBT3 (AS:AM = 5:1), from days 21 to 27. RESULTS: DBT1 suppressed airway hyperresponsiveness and eosinophil infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung, and Th2-associated cytokines and chemokines were inhibited in BALF. In addition, levels of OVA-immunoglobulin E (IgE) also were suppressed in serum. However, treatment with DBT2 or DBT3 showed no improved effects relative to DBT1 in treating asthmatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that orally administered DBT (DBT1) can reduce allergic reactions in OVA-sensitized mice.

Silicon-Based Embedded Trenches of Active Antennas for High-Responsivity Omnidirectional Photodetection at Telecommunication Wavelengths.

Although the use of plasmonic nanostructures for photodetection below the band gap energy of the semiconductor has been intensively investigated recently, efficiencies of such hot electron-based devices have, unfortunately, remained low because of the inevitable energy loss of the hot electrons as they move and transfer in active antennas based on metallic nanostructures. In this work, we demonstrate the concept of high-refractive-index material-embedded trench-like (ETL) active antennas that could be used to achieve almost 100% absorbance within the ultrashallow region (approximately 10 nm) beneath the metal-semiconductor interface, which is a much smaller distance compared with the hot electrons' mean free path in the noble metal layer. Taking advantage of these ETL-based active antennas, we obtained photoresponsivities under zero bias at wavelengths of 1310 and 1550 nm of 5854 and 693 nA mW-1, respectively-values higher than most those previously reported for active antenna-based silicon (Si) photodetectors that operate at optical telecommunication wavelengths. Furthermore, the ETL antenna strategy allowed us to preserve an omnidirectional and broadband photoresponse, with a superior degree of detection linearity of R2 = 0.98889 under the light of low power density (down to 11.1 µW cm-2). The photoresponses of the ETL antenna-based device varied by less than 10% upon changing the incident angle from normal incidence to 60°. Because these ETL-based devices provide high responsivity and omnidirectional detection over a broad bandwidth, they show promising potentials for use in hot electron-based optoelectronics for many applications (e.g., Si photonics, energy harvesting, photocatalysis, and sensing devices).

CCM111 prevents hepatic fibrosis via cooperative inhibition of TGF-ß, Wnt and STAT3 signaling pathways.

CCM111 is an aqueous extract of Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) that has exhibited anti-liver fibrosis functions. However, the detailed mechanisms of AC action against liver fibrosis have not been elucidated yet. The present research showed that CCM111 significantly lowered the levels of the hepatic enzyme markers glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), prevented liver damage and collagen deposition, and downregulated TGF-ß/Smad signaling in a dose-dependent manner compared with CCl4 treatment alone. CCM111 markedly inhibited TGF-ß, Wnt and STAT3 signaling pathway-regulated downstream genes in the liver by next-generation sequencing. The antifibrotic mechanisms of CCM111 were further demonstrated in HSC-T6 cells. Our data demonstrated for the first time that CCM111 can protect against CCl4-induced liver fibrosis by the cooperative inhibition of TGF-ß-, Wnt- and STAT3-dependent proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators, suggesting that CCM111 might be a candidate for preventing and treating chronic fibrotic liver diseases.

Hair growth is promoted by BeauTop via expression of EGF and FGF­7.

Minoxidil and finasteride have been approved to treat hair loss by the Food and Drug Administration. However, the further elucidation of treatments for hair loss, including those using Chinese herbal medicine, remains important clinically. BeauTop (BT) is a health food supplement which contains Ginseng radix, Astragali radix, Radix Angelicae sinensis, Ligustri fructus, Rehmannia glutinosa and Eclipta prostrata (Linn). Susbsequent to oral administration of BT at 0.6 g/kg/day to wax/rosin­induced alopecia in C57BL/6 mice, BT significantly induced hair growth at day 8 compared with control treatment (P<0.05). The expression levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)­7 were increased compared with control animals on day 8. In contrast, levels of FGF­5 of the BT group were reduced compared with the control on day 12. There were no effects on the expression of insulin­like growth factor 1. The results demonstrated that the mechanism of BT improving alopecia is potentially associated with modulation of EGF and FGF­7 levels. Taken together, it is suggested that BT may have a potential effect of the promotion of hair growth.

Hair growth effect of traditional Chinese medicine BeauTop on androgenetic alopecia patients: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the treatment effects of BeauTop in alopecia by observing its effectiveness in improving androgenetic alopecia. Hair growth was observed using a dermatoscope and clinical photos, and was scored by three dermatologists. Dermatologists evaluated and selected suitable participants for this study using the Norwood scale or Ludwig scale. A total of 40 participants with androgenetic alopecia were recruited in this study, and 32 participants completed the 6-month trial. The results revealed that in the BeauTop treatment group, 9/17 participants (52.9%) showed increased hair growth. Changes in hair growth were as follows: No change, 47.1% patients; minimally improved, 5.9% patients; moderately improved, 29.4% patients; and significantly improved, 17.6% patients. In the placebo group, 2/15 participants (13%) showed increased hair growth. A Chi-square test was performed and attained a value of 0.01

CCM111, the water extract of Antrodia cinnamomea, regulates immune-related activity through STAT3 and NF-κB pathways.

Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) exhibits many bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and hepatoprotection activities. Many researchers have studied the functions of the components or fractions of AC, but the functions of the original extractions of AC have not been studied. In addition, the detailed relationship between AC and immune-related signaling pathways is unclear. In this study, we screened the effects of CCM111, which is the extract of AC, on seven immune-related signaling pathways and further investigated whether CCM111 can influence inflammation. Interestingly, our results showed that CCM111 significantly inhibited the IL-6-stimulated STAT3 pathway and the LPS-stimulated NF-κB pathway in macrophages. CCM111 also decreased the phosphorylation of STAT3, Tyk2 and the nuclear translocation of p65. Moreover, CCM111 and F4, a fraction of CCM111, down-regulated nitric oxide (NO) production, the protein levels of iNOS and COX-2, and inflammatory cytokines in macrophage cells. Therefore, our study suggested that CCM111 has the potential to be developed as an effective anti-inflammatory agent.

Determination of 19 rhubarb constituents by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-mass spectrometry.

Rhubarb (Rhei rhizoma), a commonly used Chinese herb, contains anthraquinones, anthrones, galloylglucoses, stilbenes, and flavan-3-ols compounds, etc. as major constituents. Using 19 of these compounds as markers, an HPLC-UV-MS method was developed to estimate the quality of rhubarb samples within a period of 70 min. Extracts were analyzed with a Cosmosil 5C18-MS column and eluted with a gradient comprising an aqueous solution of acetic acid and methanol at a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. Peaks were detected by absorbance measurements at 254 nm (6 and 8-19) and 280 nm (1-5 and 7), and the peaks of the marker substances were identified from their UV spectra and MS fragmentation patterns. The proposed method yielded a peak-area ratio RSD value with an intraday SD falling within 0.71-1.78% and an interday SD within 0.78-1.98% at a detection limit of 0.2-3.2 microg/mL. The ESI negative ion mode was used to collect data (molecular weight, CID fragments from MS and MS/MS spectra) for 19 compounds from four types of structure categories: anthraquinones, dianthrone glycosides, stilbenes, and galloylglucosides. The information gathered can be used to identify the structures of various peaks appearing in the LC chromatograms of rhubarb samples.

Determination of 12 pueraria components by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Puerariae radix, a commonly used Chinese herb drug derived from the dried root of legume plant, contains a series of isoflavones as its chief pharmacologically active constituents. Using 12 pueraria components as markers, an LC-UV-MS method requiring less than 60 min, was developed for estimating the quality of pueraria samples within 60 min. Extracts were analyzed using a Cosmosil 5C18-MS column, by gradient elution with an aqueous solution of acetic acid and methanol-ACN at a flow-rate of 1.0 mL/min. Peaks were detected at 254 nm and each peak was identified by LC/MS. The reproducibilities (RSD) of this proposed method, on the basis of peak-area ratios from six replicate injections, were 0.93-1.42% (intraday) and 1.05-1.63% (interday) at a detection limit of 0.12-0.78 microg/mL. Most of the markers used in this study can be classified, respectively, into three major categories, namely, isoflavones, O-glycosidic isoflavones, and C-glycosidic isoflavones. The structures of the compounds were determined from LC-MS fragmentation data and data from the literature.