Enhanced luminescence and quenching mechanisms in Na⁺ Co-doped K₇CaY₂(B₅O₁₀)₃:Tb phosphors under UV radiation.

This study investigates the structural and luminescent properties UV radiation of Tb³⁺-doped K₇CaY₂(B₅O₁₀)₃ (KCYBO) phosphors prepared using a microwave-assisted sol-gel method, with a focus on the impact of Na⁺ co-doping. Tb³⁺ ions were effectively integrated as evidenced by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld analysis, without disrupting the crystal structure. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis showed intense green emissions at 542 nm, which are due to the D₄ → F₅ transition in Tb³⁺.

Comparative Investigation of Ultrafast Excited-State Electron Transfer in Both Polyfluorene-Graphene Carboxylate and Polyfluorene-DCB Interfaces.

The Photophysical properties, such as fluorescence quenching, and photoexcitation dynamics of bimolecular non-covalent systems consisting of cationic poly[(9,9-di(3,3'-N,N'-trimethyl-ammonium) propyl fluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-co-(9,9-dioctyl-fluorenyl-2,7-diyl)] diiodide salt (PFN) and anionic graphene carboxylate (GC) have been discovered for the first time via steady-state and time-resolved femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy with broadband capabilities. The steady-state fluorescence of PFN is quenched with high efficiency by the GC acceptor. Fluorescence lifetime measurements reveal that the quenching mechanism of PFN by GC is static.

Chromatographic assessment of biodiesel production from Peganum harmala seed oil using environmentally benign nano-catalysts.

This work gives a comprehensive chromatographic assessment of biodiesel generation from plant seed oil using ecologically friendly nano-catalysts. Researchers all over the world are actively looking for new ways to satisfy the urgent need for clean and renewable energy sources. The resultant biodiesel was fully characterized utilizing modern techniques like scanning electron microscopy, energy diffraction X-ray and X-ray diffraction.

The Murine Oral Metatranscriptome Reveals Microbial and Host Signatures of Periodontal Disease.

Periodontal disease is accompanied by alterations to cellular profiles and biological activities of both the subgingival microbiome and host tissues. Although significant progress has been made in describing the molecular basis of the homeostatic balance of host-commensal microbe interactions in health compared to the destructive imbalance in disease, particularly with respect to immune and inflammatory systems, few studies have attempted a comprehensive analysis in diverse host models. Here, we describe the development and application of a metatranscriptomic approach to analysis of host-microbe gene transcription in a murine periodontal disease model, based on oral gavage infection using in C57BL6/J mice.

Loss of Neutrophil Homing to the Periodontal Tissues Modulates the Composition and Disease Potential of the Oral Microbiota.

Periodontal disease is considered to arise from an imbalance in the interplay between the host and its commensal microbiota, characterized by inflammation, destructive periodontal bone loss, and a dysbiotic oral microbial community. The neutrophil is a key component of defense of the periodontium: defects in their number or efficacy of function predisposes individuals to development of periodontal disease. Paradoxically, neutrophil activity, as part of a deregulated inflammatory response, is considered an important element in the destructive disease process.

Horizontal and Vertical Transfer of Oral Microbial Dysbiosis and Periodontal Disease.

One of the hallmark features of destructive periodontal disease, well documented over the last 50 y, is a change to the quantitative and qualitative composition of the associated microbiology. These alterations are now generally viewed as transformational shifts of the microbial populations associated with health leading to the emergence of bacterial species, which are only present in low abundance in health and a proportionate decrease in the abundance of others. The role of this dysbiosis of the health associated microbiota in the development of disease remains controversial: is this altered microbiology the driving agent of disease or merely a consequence of the altered environmental conditions that invariably accompany destructive disease? In this work, we aimed to address this controversy through controlled transmission experiments in the mouse in which a dysbiotic oral microbiome was transferred either horizontally or vertically into healthy recipient mice.

A mathematical approach to best luminance maps.

An algorithm to calculate the best global mapping from color to grayscale is presented. We assert that the best mapping minimizes the difference between the multi-channel local tensor and the tensor of the resultant mono-chromatic image. To minimize the objective function, we represent the grayscale image as a weighted sum of the RGB channels, three channels and their second-order polynomial and three channels and their root polynomial.

Effect of Conjugation Length on Photoinduced Charge Transfer in π-Conjugated Oligomer-Acceptor Dyads.

A series of π-conjugated oligomer-acceptor dyads were synthesized that feature oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE) conjugated backbones end-capped with a naphthalene diimide (NDI) acceptor. The OPE segments vary in length from 4 to 8 phenylene ethynene units (PEn-NDI, where n = 4, 6 and 8). Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that intramolecular OPE → NDI charge transfer dominates the deactivation of excited states of the PEn-NDI oligomers.

Association between periodontal disease and inflammatory arthritis reveals modulatory functions by melanocortin receptor type 3.

Because there is clinical evidence for an association between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis, it is important to develop suitable experimental models to explore pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. The K/BxN serum model of inflammatory arthritis was applied using distinct protocols, and modulation of joint disruption afforded by dexamethasone and calcitonin was established in comparison to the melanocortin (MC) receptor agonist DTrp(8)-γ-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH; DTrp). Wild-type and MC receptor type 3 (MC3)-null mice of different ages were also used.

Robust metric for the evaluation of visual saliency algorithms.

In this paper, we analyzed eye fixation data obtained from 15 observers and 1003 images. When studying the eigen-decomposition of the correlation matrix constructed based on the fixation data of one observer viewing all images, it was observed that 23% of the data can be accounted for by one eigenvector. This finding implies a repeated viewing pattern that is independent of image content.

Low-abundance biofilm species orchestrates inflammatory periodontal disease through the commensal microbiota and complement.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a low-abundance oral anaerobic bacterium implicated in periodontitis, a polymicrobial inflammatory disease, and the associated systemic conditions. However, the mechanism by which P. gingivalis contributes to inflammation and disease has remained elusive.

Optimal bases for convex color mixture.

Partitive color mixing is the process by which the human eye integrates different neighboring colors to result in a single uniform surface. This process is convex: The perceived color is the weighted average of a small set of basis colors, and given that the weights represent the relative area of each color, they must sum to one. We present an efficient algorithm that generates a small number of new, natural bases such that a large set of spectra can be adequately expressed as a convex combination of these bases.

Metamer sets without spectral calibration.

The set of metamers for a given device response can be calculated given the device's spectral sensitivities. Knowledge of the metamer set has been useful in practical applications such as color correction and reflectance recovery. Unfortunately, the device sensitivities of a camera or scanner are not known, and they are difficult to estimate reliably outside the laboratory.

Calibrating color cameras using metameric blacks.

Spectral calibration of digital cameras based on the spectral data of commercially available calibration charts is an ill-conditioned problem that has an infinite number of solutions. We introduce a method to estimate the sensor's spectral sensitivity function based on metamers. For a given patch on the calibration chart we construct numerical metamers by computing convex linear combinations of spectra from calibration chips with lower and higher sensor response values.

Nuclear targeting of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 protease in epithelial cells.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an important pathogen associated with destructive periodontal disease and is able to invade the epithelial cell barrier. Its cysteine proteases are recognized as major virulence factors, and in this study, we examined the interaction of the arginine-specific protease with epithelial cells in culture. Three cell lines (KB, HeLa, and SCC4) were incubated with strain W50 culture supernatant; stained with monoclonal antibody 1A1, which recognizes an epitope on the adhesin (beta) component of the cysteine protease-adhesin (alpha/beta) heterodimer; and viewed using immunofluorescence microscopy.